Bulgaria issues Code Red warning for most of the country over sizzling temperatures forecast for July 17
Bulgaria’s national weather bureau has issued its highest level warning of very dangerous weather, Code Red, for almost the entire country for July 17 because of forecast extremely high temperatures.
Coastal areas of the districts of Bourgas, Varna and Dobrich are subject to the Code Orange warning of dangerous weather because of forecast high temperatures.
Bulgaria’s southern city of Sandanski is set for a maximum high of 43 degrees Celsius on July 17.
The city of Rousse on the Danube River faces a high of 42 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
The forecast high for the cities of Plovdiv, Vidin and Silistra on July 17 is 41 deg C.
For Veliko Turnovo, Montana, Pleven, Yambol, Blagoevgrad and Kurdzhali, the forecast maximum temperature is 40 deg C.
Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia is set for 38 deg C, while on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, Varna is set for 35 deg C and Bourgas 34 deg C.
On Thursday in the afternoon, cumulus-rain clouds will develop, with rain and thunder in some of Bulgaria’s northern and mountainous regions. Daytime temperatures there will be two or three degrees lower, but in the southeastern regions they will still be around and above 40 deg C.
According to the weather bureau, the average maximum temperature in Bulgaria on July 18 will be 38 deg C, followed by 36 deg C on July 19, 34 deg C on July 20, 32 deg C on July 21 and 34 deg C on July 22.
Climatologist Professor Georgi Rachev told bTV on July 16 that Bulgaria’s heatwave, which had lasted more than three weeks, would peak on July 17.
The water supply and sewerage utility in Varna issued a call on July 16 to residents to use drinking water wisely – mainly for drinking and household needs, and not for watering, washing personal cars, filling pools and other activities that can be carried out with non-potable water.
Because of the continuing drought, high temperatures and the lack of precipitation during the summer months, there is a significant drop in the level of groundwater, which feeds the water sources in a large part of the settlements in the district, the utility said.
Waterworks – Varna supplies water to a large part of the municipalities of Aksakovo, Avren, Dulgopol, partially Provadia and Suvorovo, from underground water, through catchments, drains and shaft wells, which generate water from shallow aquifers and are directly dependent on surface water and precipitation.
In the event of prolonged drought, as has been the case in recent years, groundwater levels also fall.
The lack of water in these water sources, which total 320 in the territory of the district, is the main reason for the reduced water supply, mainly in the summer season, the utility said.
Varna municipality said that its mobile medical centres will operate on July 16 from 12.30pm to 3.30pm at three locations in the city, offering free blood pressure readings and mineral water provided throughout or while stocks last.
The points will be next to the Varna Commercial High School, on Nezavisimost Square, as well as in front of the Tourist Information Centre.
Varna municipality of Varna said that the city fountains in the central part of the city are working. They are next to the Varna municipality building, on Saedinenie Square, Bulgaria Square, in the garden behind the Stoyan Buchvarov Water Park and in the Sea Garden.
Bourgas municipality said that on July 16, it had distributed more than 200 litres of mineral water to the public, while more than 70 people had their blood pressure measured.
The campaign by Bourgas municipality and volunteers from the Bulgarian Red Cross Youth will continue on July 17 from 11am to 1pm.
Municipal staff and volunteers are distributing mineral water, informing people about ways to protect themselves from sunstroke and heat stroke, from overheating, and are measuring blood pressure. The point is next to the municipality building, opposite the clock.
Rousse municipality said that it was setting up a temporary point, open until July 19 from 11am to 3pm daily to distribute mineral water free of charge to the public. The temporary point is in front of the court building on Svoboda Square.
Dobrich municipality is providing free water to the public on July 16, 17 and 18 from 1.30pm. The distribution points are in front of the Dobrich Youth Centre and next to the stage in the city centre.
Shoumen municipality is distributing water free of charge on July 16 and 17 from noon until 3pm, next to the Vassil Drumev puppet theatre and in front of the district administration building.
(Photo: Krasimir Kosov, via Wikimedia Commons)
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