Early Heatwave Pushes Croatia Above 30 Degrees

The news in Croatian

1. vrućina  (f.)
   stanje kad je zrak jako topao, kada je vrlo toplo vrijeme ↩︎
2. grmljavina  (f.)
   pojava u olji kada se čuje jak, tutnjav zvuk zbog munje ↩︎
3. unutrašnjost  (f.)
   središnji dio neke zemlje ili područja, dalje od mora ili granica ↩︎
4. Jadran  (m.)
   more između istočne obale Italije i zapadne obale Balkana, uz koje je i hrvatska obala ↩︎
5. bura  (f.)
   jak, hladan i često nagao vjetar koji puše s kopna prema moru na Jadranu ↩︎
6. meteorolog  (m.)
   stručnjaci koji proučavaju vrijeme i vremenske prilike ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: What kind of weather is Croatia having at the end of May, and what are the usual temperatures?

Question 2: What advice do the meteorologists give to people because of the hot weather?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
vrućina  (f.)	heat
grmljavina  (f.)	thunder
unutrašnjost  (f.)	interior (of a country) / inland
Jadran  (m.)	Adriatic Sea
bura  (f.)	bora (strong north-eastern wind)
meteorolog  (m.)	meteorologist / weather forecaster

Read the full story

Croatia is experiencing its first significant heatwave of the year, with temperatures more typical of high summer than late May. According to the national meteorological service DHMZ, coastal stations on the Adriatic Sea recorded unusually high values already in the early morning.

At 7 a.m., the warmest reported location was Živogošće on the Makarska Riviera, where the temperature reached about 26 °C. Similar early readings were recorded in Dubrovnik, Split-Marjan, Lastovo, Senj and Šibenik, mostly around 25 °C. Even in the capital Zagreb, far from the coast, the thermometer showed about 20 °C at that hour.

Through the day, much of the country is seeing maximum temperatures between 29 and 32 °C, and in some places slightly higher. Local media report that the town of Senj measured around 33.5 °C in the late afternoon, a value described as remarkable for May and more typical for August. In parts of inland Dalmatia, such as the hinterland of Šibenik and the Neretva valley, forecasts suggest temperatures could approach 35 °C.

Meteorologists describe this as part of a wider European heat pattern. A large anticyclone over western Europe is drawing very warm air from the south over the Iberian Peninsula towards France and the United Kingdom, where temperatures are also expected to rise above seasonal averages. Croatia lies on the eastern edge of this hot air mass, so the heat is present but somewhat less extreme than in western Europe.

Despite the high temperatures, the weather remains mostly sunny and dry. For today, forecasters expect clear skies across most of Croatia, with only a chance of a few isolated showers in the far south and over the interior of Istria during the afternoon as clouds develop.

Wind conditions differ between inland regions and the coast. Over land, the wind is generally light to moderate from the north-east, north-west or south-west, sometimes strengthening briefly where showers form. Along the Adriatic, a typical local wind pattern is expected: a bura (a dry north-easterly wind) will blow during the night, morning and evening, while during the day it tends to turn to a north-westerly or south-westerly breeze from the sea. Under the slopes of Velebit mountain, the bura can be locally strong.

The heatwave is forecast to peak on Wednesday. DHMZ and other Croatian sources predict predominantly sunny and hot weather again, with maximum temperatures widely between 29 and 33 °C. In the interior, from midday onwards, stronger cloud development could bring scattered showers and thunderstorms, some of which may be more intense, especially in hilly areas and the interior of Istria. On the Adriatic, conditions should remain mostly dry, though a few showers are not excluded.

From Thursday onwards, forecasts point to a gradual cooling in continental Croatia. It should still be mostly sunny with periods of moderate cloud, but daytime temperatures inland are expected to ease slightly, though they will likely remain above the long-term average for this time of year. Short, local showers with possible thunder are most likely in the interior on Wednesday and mainly in Dalmatia and inland Istria on Thursday.

On the coast, the change will be felt more in the wind than in temperature. A moderate to strong bura is forecast on Thursday and during the first part of Friday, particularly along the eastern Adriatic, while daytime temperatures there should only slightly decline. Nights and mornings on the coast and islands are expected to remain warm, with minimum temperatures mostly between 20 and 23 °C.

Meteorologists and local commentators also highlight a very high UV index during this early heatwave. They advise people, especially in southern regions like Dalmatia, to avoid the strongest sunshine around midday, drink plenty of water and use adequate sun protection. These recommendations are emphasised not only for comfort but also because agricultural crops can be sensitive to extreme heat and strong sunlight at this stage of the growing season.

Overall, Croatian and European forecasts agree that this above-average warm spell is likely to continue into the end of May. While some relief is expected inland towards the weekend, more substantial and longer-lasting cooling, along with broader rainfall, may not arrive until June.

Info: ‘Croatian Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Croatian’, a language school dedicated to teaching Croatian through various online courses and Croatian classes for learners at different levels.