CroClimExtremes project is focused on understanding the origin and characteristics of extreme meteorological conditions and their impact on the urban and natural environment. Particular focus is put on the most sensitive components of these environments: cities, sea level, and natural areas of exceptional value. To carry out this task, an interdisciplinary research group was assembled that united three departments of the Faculty of Science in Zagreb (Physics, Geophysics, and Mathematics) with the strong support of collaborators from other institutions with high research and professional competencies (Faculty of Science in Split, Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service, Nature Park Biokovo, Croatian Mountain Rescue Service) and foreign collaborators working at respectable institutions - Faculty of Physics (Belgrade, Serbia), ICTP (Trieste, Italy), Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change (Graz, Austria).

Structure of the project CroClimExtremes

The project consists of four modules covering the following issues: the influence of global processes on the occurrence and characteristics of extreme weather conditions, the response of the urban climate to extreme weather conditions, the influence of atmospheric processes on the occurrence of extreme sea levels, and the characteristics of climate conditions in the natural environment of complex topography. These four modules include processes and consequences related to climate change that are extremely interesting and important for the broader scientific community but are also of strategic importance for Croatia, namely:

1. large-scale atmospheric processes and feedback mechanisms that support the development of extreme weather events,
2. the impact of extreme weather events on the urban environment - heatwaves, extreme precipitation, long-term droughts, coupled and successive extreme meteorological events,
3. the influence of atmospheric processes on the occurrence of exceptional sea levels in the Adriatic,
4. occurrence of hazardous weather conditions in the natural environment with complex topography.

These threats are recognized as very significant, and in the 'Strategy for adaptation to climate change in the Republic of Croatia for the period up to 2040 with an outlook to 2070' (Official Gazette 46/2020), it is stated that they cause high vulnerability. They are covered by adaptation measures to climate change.