Climate
The climate at the Adriatic is typically a
Mediterranean one, with mild rainy winters, and
hot and dry summers. The air temperature changes
depending on the area. Thus, summer temperatures
in July will be about 34°C in the northern part,
while in the southern part Sthey will rise even
to 38°C. In the winter, the coldest temperatures
are noticed in the northern Adriatic (up to
-16°C), while they will not have exceeded 6°C in
the southern part.
Winds
At the Adriatic Sea, the bora, sirocco and
north-western wind blow most often.
Bora
Bora (Cro.: bura) is a dry, cold downward wind
blowing in bursts from the north-northeast to
the east-northeast direction. The direction in
which the wind blows is mostly influenced by the
configuration of the shore. The strength of bora
is explained by the existence of warm air over
the surface of the sea, and a cold layer of air
above mountain ranges in the littoral, which
cause a strong streaming due to equating of the
pressure. Cold air tends to fill the void which
occurs due to the rising of the warm (lighter)
air from the sea surface. Bora blows mostly in
the winter. In the summer, it usually lasts for
a day or several hours, while, in the winter, it
can blow as long as 14 days.
Sirocco
Sirocco (Cro.: jugo, siroko or silok) is a warm
and moist wind which blows from the direction
east-southeast to south-southwest. Its
consequences are high waves and rain. Sirocco is
a characteristic wind for the southern Adriatic,
where it blows longer and stronger than in the
northern part. In the summer, it usually blows
as long as 3 days, and in the winter even as
long as 3 weeks. The signs of the oncoming
sirocco are the calm at the sea, weak changeable
winds, dimness of the horizon, the increase of
the temperature and moisture, and the gradual
decrease of the pressure. Waves from the
direction of the southeast become bigger.
Landward Breeze
The landward breeze (Cro.: maestral, maestral,
smorac) is a daily, thermic wind blowing from
the direction of the northwest, and it occurs as
the consequence of the difference in the speed
of warming up of the land and the sea. It is
present from the spring to the autumn, and,
during the day, it often changes the direction
of blowing. The landward breeze is more present
in the southern Adriatic than in the northern
Adriatic, and it starts to blow earlier there.
Stiff Breeze
The stiff breeze (Cro.: burin) is a wind blowing
contrary to the landward breeze. It blows during
the night from the direction of the north,
north-east in the northern Adriatic, and in the
southern Adriatic, from the east or south-east.
It is the strongest before the dawn, and after
that it stops soon.
Data About Weather
Weather forecasts are made by the State
Hydrometeorological Institute, and they can be
heard on VHF frequencies of coastal radio
stations and harbor master's offices. They are
also broadcast on FM stations or at the end of
the news or within broadcasts for seamen. Harbor
master's offices constantly send weather reports
and warnings on their VHF operating channels, in
four languages. It is possible to get forecasts
with the presentation of the synoptical
situation in all the marinas and harbor offices.
Nautical Radio Service and Communications
Service
The whole of the Croatian coast is covered by
radio communications rather well. The radio
service for protection of human lives and safety
of navigation is provided by Plovput from Split,
through radio stations Split and Dubrovnik,
which cover the southern Adriatic, and Rijeka,
which covers the northern part of our sea.
According to the standards of the GMDSS system
(Global Maritime Distress and Safety System),
the channel for automated receipt of digitalized
distress calls is the channel 70, after which
the communication is transferred to the
operating channel of the coastal station, i.e. a
harbor master's office (16 or 10). GMDSS system
has been in use since 1 st February 1999, and on
the present VHF channel for distress calls, the
channel 16, constant listening will be possible
still for some more time. For a direct call to a
harbor master's office, the channel 10 is used.
In Croatia, there are three commercial systems
of wireless telephony: mobile phone 099, Cronet
098 and VipNet 091.
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