Code Red weather warning for most of Bulgaria for July 18 amid blazing temperatures
Bulgaria’s national weather bureau has issued the Code Red warning of very dangerous weather for most of the country for July 18 because of the latest forecast of extremely high temperatures.
The weather bureau said that July 18 was the 12th consecutive day for which maximum temperatures across Bulgaria would be about 40 degrees Celsius.
While most of Bulgaria is subject to the Code Red warning, the coastal areas of the districts of Varna, Bourgas and Dobrich are subject to the Code Orange warning of dangerous weather, also because of high temperatures.
The forecast for July 18 says that in the afternoon, rain clouds will develop in northern Bulgaria and the mountainous regions of western Bulgaria, with rain and thunder in some places.
The forecast maximum temperature for Rousse and Sandanski for July 18 is 42 degrees Celsius, for Plovdiv and Silistra 40 deg C and for Blagoevgrad, Pleven, Veliko Turnovo, Yambol and Kurdzhali 39 deg C.
Bourgas, Vidin, Shoumen and Montana are set for 38 deg C, capital city Sofia 37 deg C and Varna 36 deg C.
Climatologist Simeon Matev told bTV in an interview on July 17: “Temperatures in countries across South East Europe are anomalies, well above normal.
“The norm for our country at this time of the year is to be between 30 and 35 degrees, and we see that they are between 36 and 42-43 degrees, that is, eight degrees above the norm,” Matev said.
Caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev told Parliament on July 17 that the situation with the numerous fires in Bulgaria “although extraordinary, is under control”.
There had been no deaths and there was no danger to populated areas, Glavchev said.
In the past 24 hours alone, firefighters had responded to 250 reports of fires. A total of 204 fires had been extinguished,” he said.
Bulgaria’s Road Infrastructure Agency said that from 1pm to 9pm on July 18, the movement of lorries of more than 20 tons was being restricted in nine districts because of the forecast high temperatures.
The nine districts are Rousse, Shoumen, Varna, Lovech, Gabrovo, Veliko Turnovo, Turgovishte, Razgrad and Silistra. The restrictions do not apply to motor vehicles transporting perishable food, temperature controlled goods, live animals and dangerous goods, the agency said.
Bulgarian state railways said on July 16 that trains in some sections of the country were subject to speed restrictions because of the high temperatures, to prevent damage to rails and other infrastructure.
(Photo: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
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