# Bora and jugo in Croatia: sailing wind risk by month > What Croatia's met service says about the bora and jugo, and strong-wind days by month at Split and Dubrovnik (NASA data, our count). URL: https://catamaranindex.com/weather-risk/croatia/ Last updated: 2026-10-29 Author: Catamaran Index editorial team Croatia's two strong winds, the bora (north-easterly, gusty) and the jugo (southerly), "are more frequent and stronger in the cold part of the year", according to Croatia's national meteorological service (DHMZ); in summer the usual pattern is a daytime sea breeze and a north-westerly in the open sea. At our Split point, days reaching force 6 (22 kn or more) average 3.7 in November and 0.2 in July (our calculation from NASA POWER, 2016–2025), so a July or August charter rarely meets them, though DHMZ warns the summer bura can still disrupt sea traffic. *Checked 29 Oct 2026. Official dates are quoted; counts are our calculation from NOAA and NASA data ([how we count](#method)); facts are labelled official, secondary or not verified ([labels](#labels)).* ## Bora and jugo - Croatia's strong winds, bura and jugo, "are more frequent and stronger in the cold part of the year, although the intensity of the summer bura can also create problems in road and maritime traffic." DHMZ names no months (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service). ([DHMZ (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service)](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1)) - Bura "blows from the north-eastern quadrant and is known for its gustiness, high speed and duration." The average wind speed during bura "is several tens of kilometres per hour, but the speed of individual wind gusts is much higher" (DHMZ). ([DHMZ (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service)](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1)) - Jugo "is a steady and strong wind which blows evenly with a speed similar to the bura average speed, being the highest in the conveniently positioned channels between the islands and the coastland." It occurs "in the air flow from the southern quadrant" (DHMZ). ([DHMZ (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service)](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1)) - On the Middle and Southern Adriatic, where the well-known bura locations include Kliška vrata, Vrulje, the Makarska Littoral and Rijeka Dubrovačka, "bura is usually less intense and less frequent than on the Northern Adriatic"; "Jugo is more intense and frequent on the Middle and Southern Adriatic than on the Northern Adriatic." Our reading: Split and Dubrovnik are in the Middle and Southern Adriatic (DHMZ). ([DHMZ (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service)](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1)) DHMZ gives no months, so we show none; the table gives our counts by month. When to go, with prices and the best months: [best time to charter in Croatia](https://catamaranindex.com/best-time/croatia/). This page prints no prices and no best-month verdict. Days per month reaching force 6 (22 kn or more), mean over 2016–2025 (our calculation from [NASA POWER](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/daily/), checked 29 Oct 2026), and the share of those days by the day's mean wind direction. | Month | Split force 6+ days | NE share (bora quadrant) | SE share (our jugo proxy) | Dubrovnik force 6+ days | NE share | SE share | |---|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:| | [January](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/january/) | 2.3 | 61% | 22% | 3.7 | 49% | 22% | | [February](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/february/) | 3.4 | 47% | 38% | 3.9 | 44% | 38% | | [March](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/march/) | 2.1 | 43% | 48% | 3.2 | 38% | 59% | | [April](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/april/) | 1.9 | 26% | 74% | 0.9 | 56% | 44% | | [May](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/may/) | 0.5 | 20% | 80% | 0.2 | 0% | 100% | | [June](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/june/) | 0.2 | 0% | 100% | 0.4 | 25% | 50% | | [July](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/july/) | 0.2 | 100% | 0% | 0.3 | 100% | 0% | | [August](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/august/) | 0.0 | – | – | 0.0 | – | – | | [September](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/september/) | 0.6 | 17% | 50% | 0.5 | 60% | 20% | | [October](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/october/) | 1.5 | 27% | 53% | 1.6 | 25% | 75% | | [November](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/november/) | 3.7 | 35% | 49% | 4.1 | 17% | 49% | | [December](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/december/) | 2.9 | 28% | 48% | 4.4 | 30% | 43% | The NE/SE split uses NASA POWER's daily mean direction, so a day counted as north-easterly is our proxy for the bora, not an observed bora (our method): NE = 0°–90° (DHMZ: the bura "blows from the north-eastern quadrant"), SE = 90°–180° (our choice; DHMZ says the jugo comes from "the southern quadrant"). "–" = no force 6 days that month. ## Month by month | Month | Split mean wind (kn) | Split force 5+ days | Split force 6+ days | Dubrovnik mean wind (kn) | Dubrovnik force 5+ days | Dubrovnik force 6+ days | |---|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:| | [January](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/january/) | 9.0 | 7.4 | 2.3 | 9.5 | 8.4 | 3.7 | | [February](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/february/) | 8.9 | 7.9 | 3.4 | 9.4 | 8.2 | 3.9 | | [March](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/march/) | 8.7 | 8.1 | 2.1 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 3.2 | | [April](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/april/) | 7.8 | 4.4 | 1.9 | 7.9 | 4.1 | 0.9 | | [May](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/may/) | 7.0 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 7.1 | 2.1 | 0.2 | | [June](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/june/) | 6.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 6.1 | 1.1 | 0.4 | | [July](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/july/) | 6.4 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 6.6 | 1.7 | 0.3 | | [August](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/august/) | 6.4 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 6.7 | 1.3 | 0.0 | | [September](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/september/) | 6.9 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 7.3 | 2.6 | 0.5 | | [October](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/october/) | 7.4 | 5.0 | 1.5 | 7.6 | 4.3 | 1.6 | | [November](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/november/) | 9.0 | 7.7 | 3.7 | 9.3 | 8.9 | 4.1 | | [December](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/december/) | 8.4 | 7.2 | 2.9 | 9.1 | 7.9 | 4.4 | Force 5+ = 17 kn or more (fresh breeze), force 6+ = 22 kn or more (strong breeze), Met Office lower limits ([Met Office](https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/guides/coast-and-sea/beaufort-scale), checked 29 Oct 2026). Not gusts: DHMZ says individual bura gusts are "much higher" than the average speed. ## What the official sources say - Croatia's strong winds, bura and jugo, "are more frequent and stronger in the cold part of the year, although the intensity of the summer bura can also create problems in road and maritime traffic." DHMZ names no months (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service). ([DHMZ (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service)](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1)) - Bura "blows from the north-eastern quadrant and is known for its gustiness, high speed and duration." The average wind speed during bura "is several tens of kilometres per hour, but the speed of individual wind gusts is much higher" (DHMZ). ([DHMZ (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service)](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1)) - Jugo "is a steady and strong wind which blows evenly with a speed similar to the bura average speed, being the highest in the conveniently positioned channels between the islands and the coastland." It occurs "in the air flow from the southern quadrant" (DHMZ). ([DHMZ (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service)](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1)) - On the Middle and Southern Adriatic, where the well-known bura locations include Kliška vrata, Vrulje, the Makarska Littoral and Rijeka Dubrovačka, "bura is usually less intense and less frequent than on the Northern Adriatic"; "Jugo is more intense and frequent on the Middle and Southern Adriatic than on the Northern Adriatic." Our reading: Split and Dubrovnik are in the Middle and Southern Adriatic (DHMZ). ([DHMZ (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service)](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1)) - In summer, DHMZ describes north-western winds (etesians) in the open sea: "a gentle wind in the Northern Adriatic, moderate wind in the Middle Adriatic, and, occasionally, strong wind closer to the Strait of Otranto", and a regular daily wind from sea to land on the coast, with wind blowing from land towards the sea at night (DHMZ). ([DHMZ (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service)](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1)) - The highest bura speed DHMZ reports is 69 m/s (248 km/h) at the Maslenica Bridge station on 21 December 1998. Maslenica is on the northern Adriatic, not on our routes (DHMZ). ([DHMZ (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service)](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1)) ## If the weather turns - Emergency (ambulance, fire, police): 112, according to UK government travel advice. ([UK FCDO (GOV.UK)](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/croatia/getting-help)) - 112 is available everywhere in the EU, free of charge, from fixed and mobile phones (European Commission). ([European Commission](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/112)) - In case of an accident or incident at sea, call 195, the toll-free number of the National Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Rijeka (MRCC Rijeka), from a landline or mobile; marine VHF channel 16 can also be used to call for help (gov.hr). ([gov.hr (Government of Croatia)](https://www.gov.hr/en/195-maritime-search-and-rescue-service/1188)) - [7-day sailing itinerary in Croatia](https://catamaranindex.com/itineraries/croatia/) - [7-day sailing itinerary in Croatia: from Dubrovnik](https://catamaranindex.com/itineraries/croatia-dubrovnik/) - Forecast links (links only, no figures from them): [official Adriatic forecast for small craft (DHMZ)](https://meteo.hr/prognoze_e.php?section=prognoze_specp¶m=jadran). ## Cancellation, insurance and weather guarantees Booking in a risk season? Read your charter contract's weather and hurricane clauses: what happens if a named storm or a port closure stops you sailing, and whether you get a refund, a credit or new dates. Some booking platforms and charter companies sell cancellation options or a "weather guarantee", and some travel insurance covers trip cancellation or cutting a trip short because of weather; check what triggers the cover. We have no insurance partner and do not recommend a product. See our [affiliate disclosure](https://catamaranindex.com/affiliate-disclosure/). ## See boats in Croatia **[See catamarans for rent in Croatia on SamBoat](https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=croatia&pos=weatherrisk)** Ask the operator about its weather and hurricane policy before you book; listings and prices on SamBoat are SamBoat's own. We may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you ([disclosure](https://catamaranindex.com/affiliate-disclosure/)). ## How we count Strong-wind days: from NASA POWER's daily WS10M_MAX (the highest hourly mean 10 m wind of the day in one grid cell), converted to knots (1 m/s = 3600/1852 kn), we count the days per month at or above 17 kn (Beaufort force 5, fresh breeze) and 22 kn (force 6, strong breeze), the lower limits on the Met Office scale, as a mean per month over 2016–2025. Direction shares use the day's mean wind direction (WD10M) in 45° bins. Our calculation. Rain: NASA POWER's monthly corrected precipitation (PRECTOTCORR, mm/day) times the days in each month, averaged over 2016–2025, whole millimetres. Our calculation, not a rain-gauge normal. Calendar: a month is marked if any part of it falls in the source's window (our mapping). "Mid-July", "the cold part of the year" and similar are the source's words. Constants: strong-wind thresholds 17 kn (force 5) and 22 kn (force 6), years 2016–2025, 45° direction bins, NASA POWER API v2.10.1. Weather data obtained from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center's Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) Project, funded through the NASA Earth Science Division (pulled 29 Oct 2026) ([NASA POWER](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/daily/), checked 29 Oct 2026). We changed the data: we counted days above thresholds, binned wind directions and summed daily rain into months (our calculation). Mean wind: NASA POWER monthly means, as on our other pages. 1. Storm passes are historical frequencies for 1991–2020 within 100 nm of one reference point (our choice of radius); they are not a forecast, and a pass within 100 nm does not mean storm-force winds at the anchorage. 2. Strong-wind days use NASA POWER's highest hourly mean wind of the day in a ½° × ⅝° grid cell (about 50 km across); real gusts and local winds (funnelling between islands, the bora at the foot of the mountains) are stronger than the cell shows. 3. Some grid cells include land (elevation from NASA POWER: 212 m at Split, 144 m at Dubrovnik), so their winds are lower than at sea. 4. Wind direction is the cell's daily mean direction; north-easterly days are our proxy for the bora and northerly days for the meltemi, not observed events. 5. Rainfall is NASA POWER's corrected precipitation for the cell, not a rain-gauge normal from the national weather service. 6. Official dates ("mid-July", "the cold part of the year") are quoted; our month mapping in the calendar is ours. Data: [JSON](https://catamaranindex.com/api/weather-risk/croatia.json). ## What we could not verify - Months of the bora and jugo season from DHMZ (it says "the cold part of the year" and gives no months). ## How to read the labels - **[Peer-reviewed study, not a government source]**: a published scientific paper, used where we could open no official page; labelled secondary in our data. - **[Secondary source]**: From a newspaper, NGO, guide or tour operator; not official. - **[Not verified]**: We could not confirm it. We leave it open rather than guess. - No label: Read in an official text: government, park authority, ministry or official tourism board. Counts, shares, means and rainfall totals are our calculation, and say so; radii, thresholds and month mappings are our choices; "our reading" marks an interpretation. None of this is a forecast, a probability or a safety rating. ## Sources - [DHMZ (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service): Climate of Croatia: general characteristics](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1) (official), checked 29 Oct 2026. - [NASA POWER: Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources: Daily API (WS10M_MAX, WD10M) and Monthly API (PRECTOTCORR)](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/daily/) (official), checked 29 Oct 2026. - [NASA POWER: Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources: Monthly API (T2M, WS10M)](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/monthly/) (official), checked 28 Oct 2026. - [Met Office: Beaufort wind force scale](https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/guides/coast-and-sea/beaufort-scale) (official), checked 29 Oct 2026. - [UK FCDO (GOV.UK): Croatia travel advice: getting help](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/croatia/getting-help) (official), checked 29 Oct 2026. - [European Commission: 112: the European emergency number](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/112) (official), checked 29 Oct 2026. - [gov.hr (Government of Croatia): 195 – Maritime Search and Rescue Service](https://www.gov.hr/en/195-maritime-search-and-rescue-service/1188) (official), checked 29 Oct 2026. - [European Commission (Your Europe): Unplanned healthcare: temporary stays (European Health Insurance Card)](https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/health/unplanned-healthcare/temporary-stays/index_en.htm) (official), checked 29 Oct 2026. - [Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS): Nautical tourism – capacity and turnover of ports, 2025 (First Release)](https://podaci.dzs.hr/2025/en/97070) (official), checked 29 Oct 2026. Method: [methodology](https://catamaranindex.com/methodology/#weatherrisk). Data: [JSON](https://catamaranindex.com/api/weather-risk/croatia.json). ## More - [Weather risk by month, all destinations](https://catamaranindex.com/weather-risk/) - [Best time to charter in Croatia, with prices](https://catamaranindex.com/best-time/croatia/) - [Croatia: weather by month](https://catamaranindex.com/croatia/#weather) - [7-day sailing itinerary in Croatia](https://catamaranindex.com/itineraries/croatia/) - [7-day sailing itinerary in Croatia: from Dubrovnik](https://catamaranindex.com/itineraries/croatia-dubrovnik/) - [Best destinations for families](https://catamaranindex.com/family-yacht-charter/) - [Fishing rules in Croatia](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/croatia/) - [Snorkelling and diving in Croatia](https://catamaranindex.com/snorkel-dive/croatia/) - [Catamaran Index home](https://catamaranindex.com/) ## FAQ ### When does the bora blow in Croatia? Croatia's meteorological service (DHMZ) says the strong winds, bura and jugo, "are more frequent and stronger in the cold part of the year"; it names no months ([DHMZ (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service)](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1), checked 29 Oct 2026). In our NASA POWER count, force 6 days at Split are most frequent in November (3.7 days on average, 2016–2025), our calculation. ### What is the jugo? DHMZ: "Jugo is a steady and strong wind which blows evenly with a speed similar to the bura average speed", highest in the channels between the islands and the coast, from the southern quadrant, and "more intense and frequent on the Middle and Southern Adriatic than on the Northern Adriatic" ([DHMZ (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service)](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1), checked 29 Oct 2026). ### Is there bora in summer? DHMZ says "the intensity of the summer bura can also create problems in road and maritime traffic" ([DHMZ (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service)](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1), checked 29 Oct 2026). At Split, force 6 days average 0.2 in July and 0.0 in August, and at Dubrovnik 0.3 and 0.0 (our calculation from NASA POWER, 2016–2025). ### Where is the bora strongest? DHMZ calls the bura the typical Northern Adriatic wind in the cold part of the year, and says that on the Middle and Southern Adriatic, where the well-known bura locations include Kliška vrata, Vrulje, the Makarska Littoral and Rijeka Dubrovačka, it "is usually less intense and less frequent than on the Northern Adriatic" ([DHMZ (Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service)](https://meteo.hr/klima_e.php?section=klima_hrvatska¶m=k1), checked 29 Oct 2026). The 69 m/s record (21 December 1998) was at Maslenica Bridge on the northern Adriatic, not on our routes. Our reading: Split and Dubrovnik are in the Middle and Southern Adriatic. ### Which forecast should I check? The [official Adriatic forecast for small craft (DHMZ)](https://meteo.hr/prognoze_e.php?section=prognoze_specp¶m=jadran). It is a link only; we take no figures from it, and your base will brief you each morning. --- Affiliate disclosure: some links are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See /affiliate-disclosure/.