Due to the strong Southeastern wind, called Jugo, which has caused waves up to 2.5 meters high, numerous catamaran and ferry lines are not operating today.
Jugo, the Southeastern wind, is a force of nature to be reckoned with in parts of Croatia that are close to the sea. It usually brings warm, humid air (unlike the wind it’s often compared to, the well-known Föhn wind in the Alps, which is usually dry), and causes high and mighty waves in the Southern parts of Croatia. Well, today, on November 3rd, 2019, it has caused problems in the traffic almost everywhere.
Croatian Automotive Club (HAK) reported today that the ferry, boat and catamaran lines that are not operating are: Lopar-Valbiska ferry to Rab island, Prapratno-Sobra ferry to Mljet, 9604 catamaran line Ubli-Vela Luka-Hvar-Split, 9603 catamaran line Jelsa-Bol-Split, 9602 catamaran line Vis-Split, Komiža-Biševo catamaran line, Korčula-Hvar-Split catamaran line, Mali Lošinj-Cres-Rijeka catamaran line, Novalja-Rab-Rijeka catamaran line, 9807 catamaran line Dubrovnik-Šipan-Mljet, Korčula-Hvar-Split boat, 409 boat line Zadar-Preko, 310 boat line Mali Lošinj-Unije-Susak.
In addition to that, the A6 highway, connecting Rijeka and Zagreb, is also closed between Kikovica and Delnice, which is quite unusual as that section of the highway is most often closed because of the Nothern wind, the cool Bura. Jugo usually doesn’t quiet down for three or four days, but the traffic situation will hopefully become more manageable soon.
Jugo has a major significance in the lives of people, in addition to often cutting their ties to the mainland. When it brings warm, humid air, it causes mood changes, generally, makes everything just a bit more complicated. The condition that you can often hear about in the Dalmatia is “južina,” the state of the atmosphere (and mind), which occurs during the Jugo winds. During the Dubrovnik Republic, Jugo was considered to be an extenuating circumstance for murder, and no significant decisions were made in the Senate during the južina.
Today, however, some people don’t seem to mind the strong winds, as witnessed by our own Paul Bradbury:
