September the 3rd, 2026 – This map shows just how hot Croatia has been this summer, with drought and unstable rainfall causing serious agriculture issues.
The State Hydrometeorological Institute (DHMZ) has published an analysis of temperature and precipitation amounts for summer 2026. Index reports that the data shows that almost the whole of Croatia had an extremely warm summer, while parts of the country, especially the east and part of central Croatia, were markedly dry. The mean seasonal air temperature during the summer was noticeably higher than the average for the reference period 1991–2020. According to DHMZ data, deviations of the mean temperature ranged from 1.8 °C in Daruvar and Makarska to as much as 3.3 °C at Puntijarka and Zavižan.
an extremely hot summer for croatia
According to the percentile distribution, summer 2026 has so far been extremely warm across almost the entire territory of Croatia. The only exceptions were Varaždin and Daruvar, where the summer was classified in the very warm category. The DHMZ map shows that very large temperature deviations were recorded throughout the country. In addition to Puntijarka and Zavižan, where the temperature was 3.3 degrees above normal, in Parg, Senj and Gospić the deviation amounted to 2.9 °C. In Osijek the mean summer temperature was 2.8 °C above normal, in Dubrovnik 2.7 °C, and in Zagreb, Bjelovar and Pazin 2.4 °C above the average. Percentiles at numerous stations were very close to the maximum values. In Osijek, at Puntijarka, Zavižan and in Dubrovnik they amounted to 99.9, which shows how unusually warm the summer was in relation to the climatological normal.
droughts caused serious issues for eastern and central croatia
DHMZ also published data on precipitation amounts. Deviations relative to the 1991–2020 normal ranged from only 24.7 percent in Gradište, where 51.2 millimetres of rain fell, to 119.2 percent on Rab, where 193.5 millimetres were measured. The most pronounced precipitation deficit was recorded in the east of the country. Gradište and Slavonski Brod had an extremely dry summer. The map shows that in Gradište only about a quarter of the usual summer precipitation amount fell, while in Slavonski Brod around 37 percent of the normal was recorded.
Very dry conditions were recorded in Osijek, Daruvar and Parg, as well as in the western part of central Croatia, i.e. in the area of Zagreb, Puntijarka, Sisak and Karlovac. In Zagreb and Karlovac around 51 percent of the usual precipitation amount was recorded.
rainfall along most of the coast was relatively normal
It was also dry in the vicinity of Križevci, Ogulin and Gospić, at Zavižan and on Lastovo and Vis, i.e. at the Komiža station. In the rest of Croatia the precipitation amount was within normal limits. This also applies to a large part of the Adriatic, including Rijeka, Senj, Zadar, Šibenik, Split, Makarska and Dubrovnik. Thus, summer 2026 has been one of exceptional temperature terms across all of Croatia, while the distribution of precipitation was considerably more uneven, with a particularly pronounced drought in the east and in part of central Croatia.
