Bulgaria issues ‘Code Orange’ weather warning for nine districts for March 23 as chilly conditions continue
Bulgarian authorities have issued a “Code Orange” warning of dangerous weather for March 23 in nine districts where strong winds and continuing wintry conditions are expected to prevail, in spite of the official start of the spring season.
The nine districts are Gabrovo, Lovech, Pleven, Razgrad, Rousse, Shoumen, Silistra, Turgovishte and Veliko Turnovo.
The lesser “Code Yellow” warning of potentially dangerous weather was issued for nine districts for March 23, with reasons varying from strong wind to snow and ice and to rain.
The warning was issued because of forecast snow and icy conditions in Bourgas, Haskovo, Plovdiv, Sliven, Stara Zagora and Yambol. It was issued for Blagoevgrad because of rain, and for Dobrich and Varna because of wind.
The wintry weather is expected to continue over Bulgaria until about the middle of next week, with warmer weather forecast for the end of March.
For March 23, the forecast was for snow in Sofia, with a minimum temperature of minus four degrees Celsius and a maximum of one degree. Rain and snow were forecast for both Plovdiv and Varna, with maximum temperatures of four and six degrees, respectively. Bourgas was set for rainy weather, with a low of five and a high of eight degrees Celsius.
Reports on March 22 said that some rivers in the Bourgas district were in danger of bursting their banks.
On March 22, as hundreds of snow-clearing machines were deployed on motorways and major roads, a car and a snow machine collided on the Maritsa Motorway near Dimitrovgrad. The driver of the car was reported to be slightly injured.
On the afternoon of March 22, Bulgaria’s Road Infrastructure Agency said that there were restrictions on the movement of vehicles of more than 12 tons on the Lovech – Turgovishte road, the Hemus Motorway between Varna and the town of Shoumen, and the Obzor and Rishki passes.
(Archive photo: (c) Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
