At 12:24, Croatia's Seismological Service recorded a magnitude 3.1 tremor north of Split. Thirteen minutes later, a second event of magnitude 2.0 followed. What these figures mean – and what cannot be inferred from the official reports.

01

Two official reports for two tremors

Croatia's Seismological Service recorded a tremor about 30 kilometres north of Split at 12:24 on 23 August 2026. Its magnitude was given as 3.1 and its estimated intensity in the epicentral area as level IV on the European Macroseismic Scale, or EMS.

According to the second official report, another very weak tremor followed at 12:37, about 31 kilometres north of Split. Its magnitude was 2.0 and the estimated intensity II to III EMS. The two recorded times were therefore 13 minutes apart.

02

The second figure is not a correction of the first

The Service published two separate reports. The magnitude 2.0 figure therefore does not replace the earlier 3.1 reading; it belongs to a second event. Conversely, without further expert assessment, the two closely timed measurements do not justify the dramatic label of an earthquake sequence.

Nor can a causal link or a forecast of further tremors be inferred from the short reports. Seismological measurements describe what was recorded. They are not a timetable for what will happen in the following hours.

03

Magnitude and intensity do not measure the same thing

Magnitude describes the physical size of an earthquake based on seismic measurements. In principle, one magnitude value is given for an event. Intensity, by contrast, describes how strongly shaking is felt at a particular location and what observable effects may occur there.

That is why the official reports list estimated intensities of IV and II to III EMS alongside magnitudes 3.1 and 2.0. Intensity can vary with distance, ground conditions and buildings. It would be wrong to treat the two scales as different ways of writing the same strength.

04

‘North of Split’ is the reliable location

The two official short reports locate the events by their distance from Split: approximately 30 and 31 kilometres north of the city. That is sufficient for a current report, but it is not an invitation to declare a particular settlement the epicentre without published coordinates.

Golden Beach therefore adopts neither a place name guessed from residents' reports nor an unconfirmed focal depth. For travellers, the description refers to the broader hinterland north of Split – not to a problem at a specific hotel, district or stretch of coast.

05

No damage report is not a confirmed damage assessment

The two seismological notices provide no information about damage, injuries, closures or emergency operations. This means such consequences were not reported in those sources. It does not automatically amount to an official confirmation that there was no damage anywhere.

Nor do these reports provide grounds for a general travel warning or a change of route to Split. Anyone who notices building damage, the smell of gas, falling objects or another specific danger on site should follow the fire service, police and Civil Protection – not generalisations on social media.

06

What helps if another tremor is felt

Croatian Civil Protection advises people inside buildings to seek cover near load-bearing walls or under a sturdy table during shaking and to keep away from windows and heavy objects. Only after the shaking ends should the building be left calmly; a lift is not suitable for this.

Outdoors, keep away from façades, poles and power lines. In a car, stop in a safe place and wait until the shaking ends. The 112 number is intended for a real emergency. For the measurement record, the Seismological Service's reports remain the primary source.

Evidence

Sources & date

Sources support the facts. Planning notes and recommendations are Golden Beach editorial assessments.

  1. Earthquake report – 23 August 2026 at 12:24Seismological Service of the University of Zagreb · 23 August 2026, checked 23 August 2026time, distance north of Split, magnitude 3.1 and estimated intensity IV EMS
  2. Earthquake report – 23 August 2026 at 12:37Seismological Service of the University of Zagreb · 23 August 2026, checked 23 August 2026time, distance north of Split, magnitude 2.0 and estimated intensity II–III EMS
  3. Earthquake – guidance for citizensDirectorate of Civil Protection · checked 23 August 2026official guidance on what to do during and immediately after an earthquake
Time-sensitive information may change. Please check the linked primary source before travelling.