Croatia Climate
Top 5 Cities: Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek, and Zadar
This month in numbers
Croatia experienced its 9th warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 13.31°C, which is 2.5°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The period of February to April 2026 also ranked as the 11th warmest on record, with an average temperature of 8.79°C, a significant 2.3°C above the baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with a 1.1°C anomaly, while the February–April 2026 period was also the 2nd warmest globally, with a 1.2°C anomaly.
What changed
Croatia's recent warmth aligns with a broader trend, as the country recorded its warmest year on record in 2025, with an average temperature of 14.18°C. The long-term trend for Croatia shows a warming of +1.94°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This past month, Croatia ranked 91st out of 234 regions globally for its 1-month temperature anomaly, and 71st for its 3-month anomaly.
What’s driving change?
The warming trend in Croatia is influenced by several factors. The () was in a strong positive phase in March 2026, with a value of 2.69, following a positive phase in February and a slightly negative phase in January. A typically brings milder, wetter conditions to northern Europe, but its influence on the Mediterranean can vary. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with an anomaly of +0.11°C for February-April 2026. However, El Niño is likely to emerge in May-July 2026 (61% chance) and persist through at least the end of the year, which typically brings warmer, drier conditions to the Mediterranean during summer, increasing heatwave and wildfire risk.
Croatia has also experienced several notable weather events recently. In February 2026, Kaštela was hit by a rare cyclonic tide combined with strong jugo winds, causing coastal flooding. In late March 2026, a powerful winter storm brought hurricane-force winds and heavy snowfall to parts of the country, including Zagreb, causing significant damage and disrupting transport links. Scientists have warned that such violent storms are becoming more frequent due to climate change, with what used to be "once in a hundred years" events potentially occurring every decade.
Looking ahead
El Niño conditions are likely to emerge in the coming months and persist through at least the end of 2026, suggesting a potential for warmer and drier conditions in Croatia during the summer.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Croatia
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Croatia changing?
Croatia is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Croatia come from?
Climate data for Croatia comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Croatia climate data cover?
The Croatia climate profile covers Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Croatia
How often is the Croatia climate update refreshed?
The Croatia climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.