A severe windstorm struck Zagreb, Croatia, on March 27, with a hurricane-force gust of 120.6 km/h (75 mph) measured at the Zagreb-Sokolovac station, according to the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ).

The agency said the figure was based on available uncorrected data pending full quality control and validation under World Meteorological Organization standards. Other Zagreb stations also recorded very strong gusts, including 96.1 km/h (60 mph) at Zagreb-Maksimir and 101.9 km/h (63 mph) at Zagreb-Lisičine.

City authorities said wind gusts during the night exceeded 100 km/h (62 mph), while gusts of up to 120 km/h (75 mph) were measured in Črnomerec in the morning, exceeding values recorded during the destructive July 2023 storm.

DHMZ said the mean wind speed during the morning hours reached up to around 15 m/s, or about 55 km/h (34 mph), while the strongest gusts caused damage across the city. The agency kept a red warning in force for the Zagreb region, warning of uprooted trees, falling branches, airborne debris, structural damage, transport disruption, and possible power outages.

The City of Zagreb said the situation worsened during the night, with the number of firefighter interventions rising from about 100 to 364, while around 320 more were still awaiting response at the time of the midday briefing.

About 1 000 calls had been made to 112, nearly as many as in the rest of Croatia combined at that stage.

Authorities reported damage to more than 150 vehicles and more than 50 roofs, including residential and public buildings, among them the Dražen Petrović Basketball Center, as well as damage affecting 13 kindergartens, 12 primary schools, and 7 secondary schools.

In its written statement, the City of Zagreb said multiple people sustained minor injuries in the city and one seriously injured person from Zagreb County was outside life-threatening danger. According to media reports released late Friday (local time), two people were seriously injured.

The heaviest concentration of reported damage and emergency interventions was recorded in the Podsljeme zone, the western parts of the city, and along the corridor toward central Zagreb.

City officials said the duration of the storm and the continued fall of trees made emergency response more difficult and limited access for intervention services in some locations.

DHMZ said the highest previously recorded maximum gust at Zagreb-Maksimir was 94 km/h (58 mph), measured in July 2008. In the 2010 to 2024 period, two hurricane-force gust events were recorded there, both linked to summer mesoscale convective systems — 88.2 km/h (55 mph) on July 30, 2014, and 91.8 km/h (57 mph) on July 19, 2023.

Based on analysis of a 14-year dataset from the Zagreb-Maksimir automatic station, DHMZ said gusts above 90 km/h (56 mph) can be expected there on average once in 10 years, while gusts around 100 km/h (62 mph) correspond to a roughly 25-year return period.

Values above 115 km/h (71 mph), such as those associated with the March 27, 2026, event, are expected over a period longer than 100 years for that specific station dataset. DHMZ stressed that this assessment is local and does not necessarily describe the probability of the same phenomenon in the immediate surrounding area.

Fallen trees damaged tram infrastructure along Maksimirska cesta, sharply reducing tram service because vehicles from the Dubrava depot could not pass westward. Repair work could not be carried out immediately because of the continuing strong wind, and full normalization of tram traffic was expected only at the beginning of the following week. Bus services were used to partially compensate for suspended tram lines.

Due to dangerous conditions, all classes in Zagreb primary and secondary schools were suspended on March 27. City officials said the decision was taken in coordination with the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth to avoid exposing around 100 000 pupils to hazardous weather while traveling to school.

Sljemenska cesta remained closed, and the cable car was suspended on both March 27 and 28.

City authorities also said 110 pupils who had been on Sljeme since Monday for outdoor school activities would likely remain there until the following day because a safe return was not possible. Officials said the children were safe, parents had been informed and the Red Cross was involved in support measures.

Mayor Tomislav Tomašević urged residents not to stay outdoors, in parks, or in green areas while hazardous weather conditions persisted, and called on the public to report only situations posing an immediate threat to life and property so that emergency services could prioritize the most urgent interventions.

Hazardous weather was forecast to continue into Saturday, March 28. The City of Zagreb said forecasts indicated the storm would persist until around the middle of the day, while DHMZ continued to warn of strong to very strong north and northeast winds, with locally storm-force gusts.

In Gorski Kotar and other parts of mountainous Croatia, snow and winter driving conditions were reported, while HAK warned of restrictions on some roads in Gorski Kotar and Lika because of snow.

Along the Adriatic, strong to storm-force bora with hurricane-force gusts was forecast in exposed areas, conditions that are hazardous but climatologically normal for that coastal corridor.

References:

1 Orkanski vjetar 27. 3. 2026. u Zagrebu – DHMZ – March 27, 2026

2 Gradonačelnik Tomašević dao izjavu o posljedicama nevremena u Zagrebu i pozvao građane na daljnji oprez – City of Zagreb – March 27, 2026