THE MODELED WIND CLIMATOLOGY OF THE ADRIATIC SEA

A 29 year wind hindcast has been used to investigate the climatology o f the Adriatic Sea. First we characterize the basin in terms of its mo nthly and annual mean distributions. Then we consider the evolution in time of the average conditions and look for the possible existence of trends. The analysis of the daily mean values over the whole period s hows the existence of preferential periods of the year for atmospheric activity. Different areas of the basin have been characterized with r espect to combined wind speed and direction and to the frequency of th e dominant storms. Finally, we discuss the accuracy of the results.