Orange rain warning for the Rijeka region as jugo and storms arrive

Croatia's weather turns on Wednesday 7 October. Showers and thunderstorms are very likely in Istria during the day and around Rijeka and in Gorski kotar from the evening, DHMZ meteorologist Tomislava Hojsak said on HRT (Novi list). Moderate to strong jugo blows on the northern Adriatic. Dalmatia stays partly sunny and warm, with rain becoming likely only late in the day.

Warnings for Thursday 8 October

DHMZ has issued an orange warning for heavy rain in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County for all of Thursday (Meteoalarm). The county covers Rijeka, Opatija, Crikvenica, the islands of Krk, Cres, Lošinj and Rab, and Gorski kotar. Yellow warnings are in force for these areas:

• Thunderstorms: Istria, Lika-Senj and Primorje-Gorski Kotar all day; Zadar from 14:00; Šibenik-Knin from 18:00; Split-Dalmatia from 18:00 to 06:00 on Friday; Dubrovnik-Neretva from 20:00 to 09:00 on Friday
• Rain: Karlovac and Lika-Senj, all day
• Wind: all seven coastal counties from Istria to Dubrovnik-Neretva, over Kvarner and the Velebit Channel already from Wednesday noon

Rijeka prepares

Rijeka's city and utility services began preparing on Wednesday for Thursday's heavy rain, mayor Iva Rinčić said (Telegram, citing Novi list). The water company is checking the drainage system and clearing drains, and contractors on construction sites and open trenches, including the Aglomeracija Rijeka sewer works, must secure them against landslides and washouts. Crews are checking the low-lying zone from Preluk via Kantrida, Zvonimirova, Krešimirova and Školjić to Pećine and Plumbum, as well as Diračje, Srdoče, Nova cesta, Zametska, Vukovarska, Osječka and Bulevar oslobođenja. If the rain gets heavier, extra crews and drain-cleaning vehicles go out, and drain grates are lifted where streets flood. Rijeka plus runs its traffic centre around the clock.

Day by day

• Wednesday 7 October: showers and thunderstorms in Istria, from the evening around Rijeka and in Gorski kotar. Highs of 19 to 23 °C in the west, about 24 °C in the south and up to 27 °C in eastern Croatia.
• Thursday 8 October: rain spreads across the interior, reaching eastern Croatia last. Heavy rain with downpours in Gorski kotar, Lika and the Dalmatian hinterland, strong to gale-force jugo on the Adriatic, slightly warmer.
• Friday 9 October: the wind turns north, with strong and gale-force bura on the northern Adriatic. More downpours and thunderstorms, especially on the coast. Parts of the interior up to ten degrees colder (Dalmacija News).
• Saturday 10 October: the bura weakens. Sunnier in the north, still unsettled in Dalmatia, with rain mainly in the south. Sunday 11 October: mostly dry.

Ferries and roads

On Thursday morning 8 October the weather stopped these lines, Novi list reported at 07:37 citing HINA (Novi list):

• Ferry Lopar (Rab) to Valbiska (Krk)
• Catamaran Split to Dubrovnik
• Catamarans Mali Lošinj, Cres to Rijeka and Novalja, Rab to Rijeka
• Local lines Mali Lošinj to Vele Srakane, Unije and Susak, and Dubrovnik to Koločep, Lopud and Suđurađ

Jadrolinija lists cancelled ferry and catamaran sailings on jadrolinija.hr, HAK lists wind closures of bridges, motorway sections and the coastal road on hak.hr. Our safety page lists the official warning sources.