A model-based wind climatology of the eastern Adriatic coast

The results of statistical-dynamical downscaling, i.e. the combination of weather-type classification and regional model simulations, of a 12-year period of ECMWF re-analysis data were used to elaborate basic climatological wind characteristics (mean windspeed, wind-roses) over the Adriatic sea and Croatia in the winter months (December, January, February). The downscaling results are in good agreement with observations of 15 Croatian climate stations. Three major wind regimes with characteristic bimodal frequency distributions of wind direction were identified and spatially separated: Adriatic Sea (NW and SE), coastal stripe (NE and SE), and Croatian inland (SW and NE). The most frequent wind directions reflect the respective spatial occurrence of northeasterly bora' winds and southeasterly jugo' winds.