The lake's own wind, hour by hour — when it eases and when the south wind builds the waves that swamp small boats and stop the swim marathon, today and the next two days, with the official warnings to follow.
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Lake Ohrid makes its own weather. A calm morning can turn into a hard south wind and a metre of chop by mid-afternoon — the open-water swim marathon has been stopped mid-race for it, and small boats have been swamped. This page reads the wind forecast for the open water off the town and shows, hour by hour, when it eases and when it builds — today and the next two days.
Today, Wednesday, July 29
The wind eases all day.
gusts 23 km/h (Beaufort 4 · Moderate breeze), sustained 11 km/h.
As of July 29 at 11:15 PM. These are modelled winds for the area, not a reading on the water — the channel funnels the wind harder mid-channel than it feels at the docks.
This is a weather model for the area, not a reading on the water and not an official warning. Lake Ohrid's south wind can build dangerous waves within an hour, and lifeguards and boat operators see conditions this page cannot. The Center for Crisis Management (ЦУК) and the Hydrometeorological Service (УХМР) issue the official lake warnings — check them, and heed the people on the water, before you go out.
Hour by hour · Today
4 am–1 pmLightGusts up to 19 km/h (Gentle breeze).
1–3 pmBreezyGusts up to 23 km/h (Moderate breeze).
3–4 pmLightGusts up to 19 km/h (Gentle breeze).
4–6 pmBreezyGusts up to 22 km/h (Moderate breeze).
6–7 pmLightGusts up to 12 km/h (Light breeze).
7–10 pmBreezyGusts up to 22 km/h (Moderate breeze).
Hour by hour · Tomorrow, Thursday, July 30
4 am–5 pmLightGusts up to 18 km/h (Gentle breeze).
5–10 pmBreezyGusts up to 36 km/h (Fresh breeze).
Day
Wind eases
Peak gusts
Thursday, July 30
all day
36 km/h · Breezy
How this page decides
Each hour is banded on the published Beaufort wind scale, read off the gusts — gusts are what build the chop and make a small boat hard to handle. Light: gusts under 20 km/h (Beaufort 0–3). Breezy: 20–38 (4–5). Strong wind: 39–61 (6–7, whitecaps and spray). Gale: 62–88 (8–9, dangerous for small craft). Violent: 89 km/h and up (10+). An easy window means daytime hours where gusts stay under about 38 km/h. No thresholds on this page are ours.
Reading it for your plans
A swim, a paddle or a pedal-boat off the kej
The wind by the shore is usually the gentlest reading of the day. Once gusts push past a fresh breeze the near-shore water turns choppy fast, and an inflatable or a pedal-boat is pushed away from the beach quicker than you can paddle back.
The open crossing to St. Naum, Trpejca or the far shore
Mid-lake there is nothing to break the wind. The south wind funnels the length of the lake and stacks the biggest waves at the northern, town end, so plan the long boat trips for the calm windows and turn back early if it freshens.
Worth knowing
The lake's own wind is the real hazard
Lake Ohrid is about 30 km long and up to 288 m deep, and it makes sudden strong winds and high waves — most dangerously from the south. National crisis management (ЦУК) issues warnings of danger from large waves on the lake ahead of storms; boats have been swamped and the St. Naum–Ohrid swim marathon has been halted mid-race for wind and waves.
The steadiest water is usually in the morning; the wind most often builds through the afternoon and eases again toward evening. Check this page again around midday before an afternoon out — the picture can change within the hour.
Local sailors take the lake seriously
Ohrid's sailors run a youth camp named Охридски ветрови — 'Ohrid winds' — precisely to teach lake-weather awareness. The wind here is part of local knowledge, not an occasional surprise.
The official channels
ЦУК — Center for Crisis ManagementIssues the official warnings for storms and large waves on Lake Ohrid. Check here before heading out on the water.
Fetched July 29 at 11:15 PM. These are modelled winds for the area, not a reading on the water — the channel funnels the wind harder mid-channel than it feels at the docks. Open-Meteo — Wind data by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). Bands from the Beaufort wind scale.