The Summer without a Summer – dramatic waterspout/tornado caught on tape, Croatia

Believe what you want… global warming, global cooling, pole shift, natural cycles of climate change… but, when it comes to weather, whatever is happening around the globe is pretty much real. There is basically no country in the world that didn't experience some form of major change in weather patterns during last couple of years.

Focusing on the Balkans and the Mediterranean, people there are joking they had a nice Spring this Winter… and now when the so called Summer is supposed to be in full effect the joke will continue with just a slight variation… we had a rough Fall this Summer.

All jokes aside, the shift in weather patterns across the region is very much real. After worst-ever flooding that devastated parts of Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia in May 2014 the region kept experiencing one severe storm after another. The Summer of 2014 is still not over but, judging by the number of precipitation records already broken and unusually low temperatures, it really could not be called a Summer.

This is especially true for southern Croatia where even the oldest residents can't remember such a rainy and stormy season. For a region that heavily depends on tourism as one of the main sources of income this is particularly troubling, severe and life threatening weather aside.

The following video was captured on July 27, 2014, near the city of Orebić on the island of Pelješac, Croatia. It is being referred to as the most dramatic tornado footage ever recorded in Croatia:

​Video captured by Gabor Klauser​

It is interesting to note that, just a few minutes before the video begins, there were two waterspouts that rotated one around another which then merged into one twister, about 50 meters in diameter, that hit the land.

The same event was captured from a safe distance by Ivica Trojanović:​

Another round of severe weather

If you think its over, think again. Forecasters issued a high risk warning for coastal areas along the Adriatic coast, northern Italy and western Balkans for today. Excessive rainfall, waterspouts/tornadoes, large hail and flash floods are expected throughout the region. (Forecast outlook day 1 – valid July 30, 2014)

Another round of severe weather is expected on July 30, 2014. Image credit: www.sat24.com/Eumetsat

Featured image: Screenshot from video by Gabor Klauser