Croatian forecasters warn of a southerly gale on the Adriatic
The Croatian weather service DHMZ warns of a jugo, the southerly wind, reaching 35 to 45 knots in the southern and parts of the central Adriatic on Wednesday 21 October 2026. Owners whose boats are still afloat should have lines and fenders checked.
Technology NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH
The marine forecast centre of DHMZ, the Croatian meteorological service, in Split issued a gale warning for the Adriatic at 19:00 on Tuesday 20 October 2026. A trough with a frontal disturbance is moving across the sea. For Wednesday the forecasters expect southerly winds of 35 to 45 knots in the south and, in the afternoon, in parts of the central Adriatic, with sea state up to 5 and thunderstorms, mainly on Wednesday.
In the north and the central Adriatic the forecast has the jugo building overnight from 12 to 26 knots to 16 to 32 knots, with a moderate to rough sea and locally state 5. On Wednesday afternoon it eases in the north and backs to southerly or southwesterly. The Croatian news site morski.hr gives gusts of 35 to 50 knots, or 65 to 95 km/h, for the islands, together with heavy rain.
The timing matters. At the end of October many boats are still in the water in marinas between Istria and Dubrovnik while their owners are back home. morski.hr advises less experienced skippers to reach a safe harbour before the wind and sea arrive and warns that catamaran and ferry services may be cancelled. Owners who cannot get there themselves should ask the marina or their boat minder today to check mooring lines, fenders and covers.
What this means for owners
What matters if the gale does damage is what you can show you did before it. Double the mooring lines, add chafe protection, take off or lash down sails and covers, and ask whoever checks the boat to send dated photos. Note the wind the forecast gave, because many hull policies define storm by a Beaufort force. If your boat breaks loose and damages another, report it straight away and do not admit liability on the quay. This concerns mainly sailing yachts, motorboats and catamarans lying at quays and pontoons in Croatia. A fair question for your insurer is which storm precautions they expect while the boat is unattended.
Our view as NAMMERT, not part of the news. Your own policy wording decides.
Where this comes from
- Source: DHMZ, Pomorski meteorološki centar Split, Seewettervorhersage Adria vom 20.10.2026, 19 Uhr
- Source: morski.hr, 20.10.2026
The text is our own; the sources supplied the facts and figures, not the wording.
