AbstractWe present the results of the implementation of an advanced wave model in the Adriatic and in the Mediterranean Sea. With respect to the first and second generation models, the new approach does not accept anya prioriassumption on the spectral shape of the wind waves, this being determined uniquely by the dynamical equilibrium of the various source functions. These include the generation by wind, non‐linear interactions and the dissipation due to whitecapping and to bottom friction.The Adriatic is characterized by highly variable wind regimes. Several storms have been hindcasted, testing the model in the various possible meteorological conditions. In this paper we focus our attention on a particular storm that allowed us to verify the shallow water behaviour of the model. For the Mediterranean we concentrate on a heavy storm that occurred in February‐March 1986 in the Sicily Channel. The very good results obtained in these two highly different conditions prove the effectiveness of the physical approach to the numerical description of the wind waves evolut