Croatia is threatened by a new wave of extreme heat caused by a meteorological phenomenon known as a heat dome. This involves a situation where a massive mass of hot, dry air from the Sahara spreads northwards and literally traps itself above the continent, leading to a sharp and dangerous spike in temperatures. Hot air from the south-west is slowly taking control of central Europe, forecasting difficult conditions for the coming weeks.
The phenomenon first struck Africa and south-west Europe, where drastic values were recorded. In parts of Tunisia and Algeria, temperatures climbed to 49 °C, while 47.8 °C was recorded in Sardinia. Temperatures between 45 and 47 °C are also expected in Spain. The absolute European record is currently held by Syracuse in Sicily with 48.8 °C set in 2021.
Conditions in Croatia are currently milder due to local influences. In Dubrovnik, 25 degrees Celsius was recorded today thanks to the bura wind, but this is only a temporary state. Zagreb and its surroundings face a sharp temperature rise from the start of next week, which will intensify from the beginning of August when the peak of the heat is expected.
According to forecasts from Severe Weather Europe and meteorological models such as GFS, Croatia is expecting temperatures of 40 °C. The particular danger lies in tropical nights without respite, which will not allow the body to cool down. The source of the record data is Jutarnji list, and the article was published on 24 July 2026.
