According to Köppen’s classification of climate, Lošinj has a moderately warm rainy climate, with the warmest month of July with the mean temperature 24.5°C and the coldest month of February with the mean temperature 7.7°C. The daily mean temperature above 20°C can be expected from early June to late September. The swimming is convenient from early June to early October when the sea temperatures are above 20°C.
Cold days with sub-zero temperatures are very rare. On the contrary, warm days with the highest daily temperature above 25 °C appear between May and October, and in July and August nearly all days are warm. During July and August the highest daily temperature often exceed 30°C (hot days), while the night temperature does not drop below 20°C (tropical nights). The mean annual cloudiness is about five tenths. There is more cloudiness in the winter when over half the sky is overcast. In the spring the amount of cloudiness decreases, and in the summer it reaches the lowest values - in July and August only three tenths of the sky are overcast.
From November to February it has an average of 4-5 hours of sunshine a day, and in the sunniest season, in the summer, the sun shines on the average over 10 hours a day. Clear days when the mean daily cloudiness is under two tenths, are more frequent than cloudy days, when over eight tenths of the sky are overcast. During July and August more than a third days in the month are clear. Most cloudy days occur between November and March, but even then there are not more than 10 cloudy days a month on average.
The mean annual precipitation in Mali Lošinj is about 918 millimetres. Most precipitation occurs in winter, which is a characteristic of the maritime precipitation regime. About 59% of the total precipitation occur between October and March, and in that period there are about 7 to 10 rainy days per month. The warm season has less precipitation and fewer rainy days, while in the summer there are only 3 to 5 rainy days per month.
In the annual wind rose mild winds prevail. The most frequent winds come from the north-north-east, followed by winds from the south. This winds regime is characteristic of the whole coastal area, indicating the appearances of the bora and the jugo (scirroco). In the summer, about midday, a characteristic flow comes from the west quadrant, the well-known mistral, which is insignificant in the total annual wind rose.
The average thermal sensation, influenced by the temperature, humidity wind and solar radiation, ranges from very cold to slightly warm. On average from mid-November to mid-March it is cold in the afternoon, while mornings and evenings are very cold. Early spring and late autumn are cool. In May and from mid-September and in October it is slightly cool, while June and the beginning of September are comfortable. Summer mornings and evenings are comfortable, afternoons slightly warm and only in late July warm.
The distribution of thermal sensation at 2 p.m. shows that the in March prevail cool afternoons, while in April and May it is slightly cool or comfortable, so this time is very convenient for the active holidays with walks and sport. Due to prevailing sensation of comfortable and warm during summer, it is possible to stay in the open all day, and in the warmest part of the day a refreshing sea bath will mitigate the feeling of warmth.
Meteorological and hydrological service of Croatia
Author: M.Sc. Ksenija Zaninović
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