Porec enjoys a mild temperate climate with hot summers and mild winters. Moderate rain falls quite evenly year round. The city sits on the west coast of region of Istria in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea, north of the popular resorts of the Dalmatian coast.
Summer, from June till September, is hot and sunny. The average high temperature hovers in the mid 20s in June and September, peaking at 28°C in July and August. It can get into the 30s but the heat is not usually unbearable as humidity is low and cooling mistral wind that blows across the city and out to sea. Rainfall does not change much from month to month and the city sees about 800 mm of rain a year, so even in summer showers fall on just under half of the days in each month. While it is regularly clear and sunny, grey skies leading to rain are not abnormal. July is the driest, sunniest month seeing only 60 mm of rain and ten hours of sunshine per day.
Autumn, in October and November, is just marginally the wettest time of year. Rain does not fall more frequently but showers are heavier. Temperatures cool off quite quickly both on land and in the sea. The average high temperature falls to 19°C in October and 14°C in November as the sea drops from 19°C to 16°C. Octoberâs temperatures should not put off those wanting a more active holiday; but November is really quite cool and unreliable.
Winter, from December till February, is not horrifically cold by any means but is unlikely to tempt those in search of a winter getaway. The average high is at its lowest in January at 8°C. It can get down to freezing at night and frosts are quite common but snow is very rare. Clouds dominate the winter sky; the sun only comes out for around three hours per day, though sometimes the bora wind blows from the north bringing crisp, clear weather.
Spring, from March till May, is warm but wet. The average high temperature increases to 13°C in March, 17°C in April and a pleasant 21°C in May. No more rain falls in spring than at any other time of year, but it is more persistent, falling more frequently as drizzle or light showers. However, the rains seem to relieve the sky of its clouds more successfully than in the winter and the sun comes out for longer and longer as the season progresses. The sea is usually warm enough for swimming by mid May.
Porec owes its climate to its position to the east of the Mediterranean and to the topography of Croatia. While the Alps prevent cold and rainy weather coming over to Porec from the north, there is no barrier to the sirocco wind blowing in from the southwest. The sirocco begins its life as a hot, dry wind in the Sahara in Africa and brings hot, arid conditions to Mediterranean regions of Europe, but by the time it reaches Croatia it has stolen so much moisture that it is incredibly humid and brings rain to the country.
