Weather: Maximum Temperatures from Minus 7° to Plus 7° in the Afternoon

A warning for icy conditions, with daytime temperatures remaining below freezing, is in effect for another day across almost the entire country, with the exception of south-western Bulgaria. There, afternoon temperatures on February 3 are expected to reach around 7°C.

Elsewhere, maximum temperatures will range between -7°C and -1°C. In Sofia, temperatures will be around 0°C, while along the Black Sea coast they will be between -2°C and 0°C. Winds will be light overall, moderate south-easterlies in eastern Bulgaria and along the coast, and temporarily strong westerly winds in the mountains.

Wednesday will be warmer than today. Minimum temperatures will range from around -8°C in northern Bulgaria to +4°C in the south-west. In Sofia, lows will be about -1°C, while along the Black Sea coast temperatures will vary from -2°C in the north to +2°C in the south.

Despite the warming trend, some areas will still see negative daytime temperatures on Wednesday, mainly in the western and central parts of the Danubian Plain, where fog is expected to persist throughout the day. Elsewhere, moderate winds from the south-south-east will bring afternoon temperatures of between 2°C and 10°C, with around 3°C in Sofia. Skies will be mostly cloudy, with rain developing in the afternoon, initially over south-western Bulgaria.

In the mountains, strong to gale-force southerly winds are expected. Rain will begin in the second half of the day, with the snowline rising to around 2,000 metres.

Rain will continue overnight into Thursday and throughout the day, with locally heavy falls in eastern Bulgaria and mountainous areas. In the Danubian Plain, precipitation will be lighter, but conditions will be favourable for the formation of ice. Temperatures will continue to rise.

On Friday, rainfall will ease temporarily, before rain returns from the south-west later in the afternoon, quickly spreading across the country. Significant rainfall is again expected in the Rila and Rhodope regions.

Saturday is forecast to be largely dry with some sunny intervals. However, rain will return on Sunday and, with another drop in temperatures, precipitation will turn to snow in northern Bulgaria and the higher plateaus of the west.