Meteorological Buoy Data Now Available to Everyone
On June 6, 2022, at a depth of 105 meters in the Vis Channel, the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ) anchored its first meteorological-oceanographic buoy. Even then, it was clear that this would become a remarkable and unique safety and research project in the Adriatic. Since then, four more buoys have been deployed, forming the State Network of Meteorological-Oceanographic Buoys. They are anchored in Croatian territorial waters at Kvarner (Unije), Blitvenica (Žirje), the Vis Channel, Palagruža, and Molunat (Dubrovnik).
After a trial period and data testing in 2024, on December 5, DHMZ announced that data from all five buoys is now publicly available on its website. The buoys measure air temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure, solar radiation (longwave and shortwave), visibility, wave height, direction and period, sea temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, water turbidity, and chlorophyll levels.
Meteorological Buoy Data benefits Sailors, Fishermen and Boaters
Despite its significance, this development has received little attention or media coverage, though it certainly deserves it. This initiative has greatly improved maritime safety in the Adriatic, benefiting not just professional sailors and fishermen but also recreational boaters. Anyone sailing from Split to Vis, for example, will find real-time sea conditions in the Vis Channel extremely useful. The measurement technology and real-time data transmission are fully in line with modern standards.
Ships equipped with an AIS system can access the buoy data directly. Full technical details on the buoys and their instruments, along with all recorded data, are available on the DHMZ website (https://meteo.hr – select Data > Meteorological-Oceanographic Buoys).
Together with the radar system already monitoring the Adriatic, the buoy network forms a strong safety link in the region. Let’s not forget that DHMZ also provides lightning detection services and highly reliable marine weather forecasts.
