Heatwave continues: Red alert issued for two Croatian regions tomorrow

Croatia is bracing for continued extreme heat as the national meteorological service issued red alerts for the Zagreb and Rijeka regions on August 3. The rest of the country remains under orange warnings due to high temperatures.

On August 2, Pula experienced a scorching 40.4 degrees Celsius, with surrounding areas like Rovinj and Novigrad also recording similar intense heat. Even the sea offered little respite, with water temperatures in Pula reaching nearly 29 degrees Celsius.

While the current heatwave is notable for its duration, historical data reveals similar extreme temperatures in past decades. For instance, the summer of 1981 saw temperatures of 42.8 degrees in Ploče, so intense that it reportedly deformed railway tracks. Temperatures exceeding 38 degrees were also recorded in 1977 and 1988. The key difference today, experts note, is the extended duration of these extreme heat periods.

Forecasters anticipate some relief next weekend, though the extent of this cooling remains uncertain. The current heatwave follows a day with morning temperatures ranging from 14 to 19 degrees Celsius inland, and 22 to 27 degrees along the Adriatic coast, with daytime highs generally between 33 and 38 degrees Celsius.