Guide 2 Croatia Climate & Weather

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Guide 2 Croatia Climate & Weather

Croatia is a long country and the weather can vary from one end to the other!

Dalmatian coast: long, hot summers with many hours of sunshine followed by mild but rainy winters. Sheltered is provided by the Dinaric Alps.

Adriatic: long hot summers with high number of hours of sunshine, but more prone to showers and odd thunder storm. Winter around 4 hours of sunshine a day and cold winds from central and eastern Europe especially on North Adriatic coast.

Inland: temperatures are high in the summer but with more rainfall and in winter it can be very cold.

Mountainous areas regularly see snow.

In the East of the country the landscape is flatter, there is less rainfall but winters are very cold.

Generally, the southern part of Croatia (Dalmatia - Split and Dubrovnik Rivieras) has a Mediterranean climate and Istria/ Kvarner, in the north have a more continental climate. The fact that Croatia almost borders the Alps in the northern part of the country means that the two areas have quite different weather in the winter, but in the summer time, they are very similar:

The Dalmatian Coast in the south of Croatia is most popular for summer holidays and has fabulous weather during the summer months - temperatures in Dubrovnik are reflective of this part of coastline and most of the time during July and August it is 30 degrees plus! Perfect sunbathing weather! The sea is usually very warm at this time of year as well. The warmest months are July and August when the air temperature is between 25° C and 35° C (77° F - 95° F) and the sea temperature reaches up to 28° C (83° F). Rain is very rare! Check out the statistics on the BBC Croatia Weather Guide - though in our opinion it is normally a bit hotter in the summer.

June and September are the local's favourite months - they are also very warm months with average temperatures of around 25° C (77° F) but the heat isn't quite so intense! The sea surface temperature is normally between 20° C and 25° C (68° F - 77° F) so it is still a lovely time for swimming and sunbathing - but walking around isn't quite such hard work!

Sunbathing and swimming are also possible in April, May and October, and these are often lovely sunny months, the weather is just more unpredictable during this time and there can be rain. It is more likely that the south of Croatia (Dalmatia - Split/Dubrovnik) will be sunnier so is probably the best bet for a holiday in these months. In this period, you can expect temperatures between 15° C and 25° C (59° F - 77° F) and sea temperatures between 16 and 21° C (61 - 70° F).

The air temperature during the winter months is normally between 5 and 10° C (41-50° F) and the sea temperature 12 ° C (54 ° C ). The weather can really vary at this time - November can see people swimming in the sea (!) but then again, it can also be cold and best to stay indoors. The weather is more akin to English weather during the winter though normally fairly mild, but if the sun does come out, especially in the south, it can be quite warm in direct sunlight and you will need your sunglasses!