Bulgaria’s May 2025 was among the three coldest May months in 20 years
Bulgaria’s May 2025 was one of the country’s three coldest May months since 2005, the national meteorological bureau said in a regular monthly report.
The average monthly temperatures were between plus 12 and plus 18 degrees Celsius, deviating from the monthly norm between minus 2.5 and 0 degrees Celsius.
The highest measured temperature was 32.2 degrees on May 5 in Bulgaria’s Danube River city of Rousse.
The lowest minimum temperature at a weather station in a settlement was minus 0.5 degrees on May 15 in Chepelare, and the lowest temperature measured on a mountain peak was minus 9.0 degrees on Musala on May 14.
In Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia, the highest measured temperature was 26.5 degrees on May 23, and the lowest, plus 2.1 degrees on May 15.
In most of the country, monthly precipitation amounts were around the climatic norm, by between 48 and 150 per cent.
On May 6, torrential rains, accompanied by hail and strong winds, flooded buildings, yards, agricultural areas and sections of road infrastructure in some settlements in northern Bulgaria. The next day, May 7, a strong storm in Haskovo brought down trees, flooded basements and temporarily cut off electricity.
On May 22, a thunderstorm with heavy rains and hail passed over the districts of Razgrad, Turgovishte and Gabrovo.
According to information from the North Electricity Distribution Company, as a result of the storm, a number of villages in Razgrad district were left without electricity. The most severely affected by hail were nine villages in the municipality of Sevlievo.
During the period May 24-26, the passing cold front with strong north-westerly winds, thunderstorms and intense rainfall and hail caused serious damage in the districts of Sliven, Stara Zagora and Yambol. A partial state of emergency was declared in three villages in the Nova Zagora region. Damage was caused to agricultural production and to passenger cars .
During the first two-day periods of May, the water levels of most rivers in the country were around and above the average water thresholds.
Rainfall during the third 10-day period of the month increased river levels across the country, and river water levels were above the average water levels and around the high water levels.
The weather that was unstable and cool for the season affected agricultural conditions.
The above-average May precipitation increased the level of moisture reserves in the deeper soil layers.
The intense precipitation and hailstones that fell during the first and third 10-day periods caused irreparable damage to agricultural crops.
In places in the northwestern, southern and southeastern regions of Bulgaria, such as Pleven, Haskovo, Sliven, Stara Zagora, Nova Zagora, Yambol, as well as other places, crops with spring and vegetable crops were completely destroyed.
The May hailstones also cause significant mechanical damage to the vineyards and fruit orchards.
During the last week of the month, frequent precipitation and the increased moisture content in the upper soil layers limited the implementation of seasonal soil cultivation and plant protection activities, the meteorological bureau said.
(Photo: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
