Another long weekend and more rain forecast for Bulgaria
Bulgaria heads into the third long weekend in the month of May and once again the weather forecast features more rain than sunshine. Bulgaria celebrates the public holiday honouring Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Day of Slavonic learning and culture, on May 24, with the Cabinet declaring Monday, May 23 a public holiday as well.
The weather forecasts include more rain at the weekend, with extensive clouds and the occasional thunderstorm. A code “yellow” weather warning has been issued for 16 districts, mainly in the western and southern parts of the country, for May 21.
The code “yellow” warning is in effect for the districts of Vidin, Montana, Vratsa, Lovech, Gabrovo, Stara Zagora, Haskovo, Kurdjali, Smolyan, Plovdiv, Pazardjik, Blagoevgrad, Kyustendil, Pernik, as well as the district and city of Sofia.
Under the guidelines of the Network of European Meteorological Services, code ‘yellow’ alerts are issued when the weather is potentially dangerous. Bulgaria’s Environment Ministry has issued warnings of possible flash floods caused by heavy rainfall and put its units monitoring river levels in Plovdiv, Pazardjik and Blagoevgrad on heightened alert.
Temperature highs will range from 14C in Sofia to about 20C on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast on May 21, warming up to about 19C-23C on May 22, sole exception being Smolyan in the south of the country, where the daily high is forecast at 13C.
Clouds will make way to some sunshine on May 22, while May 23 will see mostly warm and sunny weather throughout the country, with some cloud cover in the eastern part of the country. Temperatures are expected to rise to 23C-27C in most of the country.
The last day of the long weekend, however, will see more clouds and scattered rain showers in the western part of the country, although temperatures will remain fairly high at 21C-25C. Heavy rain is expected to make a return on May 25, with temperature highs dropping below 20C.
Heavy traffic out of Sofia is expected late on May 20 and the morning of May 21, going by the experience of previous long weekends, and a spike of inbound traffic into the city is expected in the afternoon and evening of May 24.
(Photo: Stephen Topp/flickr.com)
