Meteorological bureau: Bulgaria’s January 2026 saw more rain and snow than January 2025
Bulgaria’s January 2026 saw more rain and snow than the first month of 2025, with the month’s average temperatures between minus 1 and plus 5 degrees Celsius, which was around and above the norm, the national meteorological bureau said in a regular report.
The highest measured temperature in January 2026 in Bulgaria was 21.4 degrees on January 4 in Dulgopol.
The lowest minimum temperature at a weather station in a settlement was minus 17 degrees on January 12 in Samokov, and the lowest temperature measured on a mountain peak was minus 25.8 degrees on Musala Peak on January 1.
In Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia, the highest measured temperature was 16.6 degrees on January 4, and the lowest, minus 10.9 degrees on January 13.
In Sofia, monthly average precipitation in January added up to 70mm, which is 198 per cent of the norm.
In the first days of the year, strong to gale-force winds caused serious material damage in many places in Bulgaria, the bureau said.
On January 4, in the municipality of Vratsa, trees were uprooted by the wind, dozens of electric poles fell, there were broken cables and partial power outages in separate areas of the city, as well as in the villages of Beli Izvor and Chiren.
Because of hurricane-force winds, flights from Sofia Airport were redirected or cancelled on that day.
Numerous trees were downed on the territory of the Borovets resort, including on the ski slopes, which led to the ski area being temporarily closed.
On January 8, in the village of Meden Kladenets, Yambol district, strong winds damaged many houses and street poles, and a photovoltaic park was also affected.
During the month, due to prolonged and heavy rainfall, local floods were registered in southern Bulgaria, the report said.
On January 7, a partial state of emergency was declared in the municipalities of Kirkovo and Krumovgrad because of destroyed infrastructure, interrupted roads and activated landslides.
On January 11, a landslide closed the road between Devin and Smolyan in a section of about 2 km before the village of Stoikite.
On January 8, 27 and 30, because of prolonged and significant rainfall, the Arda River rose and the incoming waters flooded the reinforced concrete bridge over the river, located on a national road in the area of the village of Kitnitsa.
Because of the impassability of the bridge – the only road connection for six villages on the territory of Ardino, the municipality declared a partial state of emergency during these days until the river level dropped.
For most of the month, the water levels of the country’s rivers were around the average, the meteorological bureau said.
(Photo: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
