Image: A weak earthquake near Dubrovnik/CU
An earthquake near Dubrovnik was recorded on Friday morning, with residents describing a strong but very brief jolt accompanied by a loud noise.
According to the Seismological Service of the Department of Geophysics, the earthquake occurred at 8:46 am on 7 August 2026. Its epicentre was located seven kilometres north of Cavtat, near the village of Zagradinje in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The earthquake had a magnitude of 2.6 on the Richter scale, while its intensity at the epicentre was estimated at III–IV on the EMS scale.
Despite its relatively low magnitude, the earthquake near Dubrovnik was clearly felt in the city and surrounding area.
Earthquake near Dubrovnik described as short but strong
Residents reporting their experiences to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) repeatedly described the tremor as short but strong. Some compared the sudden jolt and noise to an explosion or detonation, while others reported feeling a strong initial hit followed by brief shaking.
“Strong but short,” one report from Dubrovnik said, while another described it as “short but powerful”. Several residents also mentioned a loud noise and said the sudden shaking caused a moment of fear.
Magnitude 3.5 earthquake also recorded near Novi Vinodolski
A stronger earthquake was recorded in another part of Croatia several hours earlier.
According to the Seismological Service, the earthquake occurred at 1:20 am on 7 August, with its epicentre 11 kilometres southeast of Novi Vinodolski.
Its magnitude was 3.5 on the Richter scale, while the intensity at the epicentre was estimated at IV–V on the EMS scale.
Both earthquakes were recorded within less than eight hours, although they occurred in geographically separate areas.
