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 ranked as the 11th warmest on record, with an anomaly of +2.3°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C, while the February–April period also ranked as the 2nd warmest globally, at +1.2°C above average.
What changed
Croatia's recent warmth is part of a broader trend, with the country experiencing its warmest year on record in 2025, at 14.18°C. The long-term trend shows a significant warming of +1.94°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. While Croatia itself was not among the top 10 warmest regions globally for the latest month or 3-month period, the wider European continent has seen notable warmth. For the 3-month anomaly, 9 of the top 10 warmest regions were US states, indicating a strong concentration of warmth there.
What’s driving change?
The recent warmth in Croatia can be attributed to several factors. A significant driver is the broader trend of land warming faster than ocean, contributing to the overall increase in temperatures. Additionally, a powerful heat dome is developing across Europe, bringing unusually high temperatures for late May, with Croatia forecast to experience notably warmer conditions. This phenomenon traps warm air, preventing it from escaping. Croatia also experienced a rare cyclonic tide with strong jugo winds causing coastal flooding in Kaštela in February. In March, Zagreb was hit by a rare and powerful windstorm with gusts exceeding 120 km/h, causing widespread damage and disruption. Scientists suggest that such violent storms are becoming more frequent due to climate change. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but an El Niño is strongly forecast to develop in the coming months, which typically brings warmer and drier conditions to the Mediterranean region during summer, amplifying heatwave and wildfire risks. For more on ENSO, visit ENSO tracker.
Looking ahead
Forecasts suggest that Croatia is bracing for its first heatwave of the summer, arriving earlier than usual with temperatures much higher than typical for this time of year, and wildfire worries are already relevant, especially along the Adriatic coast.
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.