Code Red weather warning for Kurdjali in south-eastern Bulgaria
A Code Red dangerous weather warning has been declared for the south-eastern Bulgarian city of Kurdjali for October 29 – the second such warning in two consecutive days, although on October 28 forecasts of heavy rain and high winds in Kurdjali and Smolyan failed to prove true.
Firefighting and civil defence teams were put on alert on October 28 and dam and river levels were checked.
There was some rain and minor flooding where ducts were clogged because of autumn leaves but municipal crews were able to clear these quickly, public broadcaster Bulgarian National Television said.
However, weather forecasters said that it was expected that October 29 would see rainfall reaching up to 50 litres a sq m, raising the risk of sharp rises in river levels and thus flooding.
Motorists were urged to drive with caution because of the risk of reduced visibility and wet roads.
For October 29, the lesser Code Orange weather warning has been declared for the districts of Blagoevgrad, Haskovo, Shoumen, Smolyan Razgrad, Silistra and Dobrich, because of predicted heavy rainfall, while a Code Yellow warning is in effect for Sliven, Yambol, Varna and Bourgas because of expected high wind.
On October 28, ports in the Bulgarian Black Sea cities of Varna and Bourgas were closed because of strong winds.
Five temperature records were set on October 28, in a last gasp of unseasonably high temperatures ahead of the predicted fall in temperatures.
In Rousse on the Danube, temperatures reached 26.8 degrees Celsius, 25.8 degrees inBulgaria’s second city ofPlovdiv, 25.5 degrees inMontana, 25 degrees inVratsaand 24.2 degrees in Ahtopol.
In the capital city Sofia, temperatures are expected to range from a minimum nine to a high of 18 degrees on October 29, from one to 12 on October 30 and one to 16 on October 31, with rainy and partly cloudy weather forecast.
(Photo: Tom S/sxc.hu)
