RIA: Motorists advised to travel with vehicles equipped for winter conditions

Motorists planning to travel in the coming days should drive in vehicles prepared for winter conditions, Bulgaria's Road Infrastructure Agency urged. The agency noted that met office forecasts colder weather and in some areas the rain will turn to snow. For tomorrow, November 30, code yellow warning has been declared for dangerous weather in Northwest, Southwest and Central Bulgaria in the districts of Vidin, Montana, Vratsa, Sofia region, Sofia-city, Pernik, Kyustendil, Lovech, Pazardzhik, Kardzhali and Plovdiv.

The regional road administrations are ready to take the necessary actions to treat the road surfaces in the high mountain areas and passes where slippery and icy conditions are possible especially early in the morning when the temperatures are lower. The aim is to start preventive and then snow clearance activities as quickly as possible to ensure the passability of roads. Priority is given to motorways, the busiest routes on the first and second class road network and the passes providing links between North and South Bulgaria.

Motorists are advised to drive with caution, at a speed consistent with the weather conditions, to keep the necessary distance, avoid sudden manoeuvres and not to overtake the snow-ploughing machines. The blocking of traffic by vehicles not prepared for winter conditions hampers the journey of all other drivers and the work of the snow ploughing equipment, RIA added.

Up-to-date information on the road conditions and maintenance is available on the RIA website, www.api.bg, and on the telephone line 0700 130 20 at any time.

The Agency has a 24-hour Situation Centre which collects and summarises data on the state of the national roads.

The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology said that tomorrow will remain cloudy, in Western and Central Bulgaria with rain, in the Pre-Balkan and high fields - of snow, there will also form a snow cover. Later in the day, the air mass will warm slightly and snow will change to rain, except in the Western Pre-Balkan. Significant precipitation will occur in southwestern Bulgaria.