site.bta2024 Sets Another Warm Record in Bulgaria and Worldwide, Climatologist Simeon Matev Tells BTA

With 2024 set to go down in world history as the warmest year since 1850, Bulgaria reports a succession of anomalous and even highly anomalous months weather-wise. The average temperature in the country in February was approximately 5 C higher than the statistical norm, which is an extremely high value. The temperatures in April, June and July were more than 3 C above the respective norms, according to climatologist Simeon Matev, who teaches at Sofia University.

Matev predicted in a BTA interview that the average temperature in Bulgaria in the whole of 2024 will set a new record, almost half a degree warmer than the 2023 record.

Worldwide, the outgoing year has seen many extreme weather events, he said. Valencia in Spain was hit by a massive downpour which dumped what would normally be the area's annual amount of rain in a matter of hours. Some floods around the globe were made worse by human errors such as property development in ravines and unreasonable changes to riverbeds. Bulgaria has been spared the tragedy of large floods this year. The last twelve months have witnessed many hurricanes which were extremely powerful. A few of them occurred in the United States. Such events are expected to become even more frequent in the future, Matev warned.

The winter (February) and the summer have been the two seasons in 2024 that pushed Bulgaria's temperature records up, the scientist said.

In addition to being unusually warm, this has been a dry year in Bulgaria. Precipitation has been below the usual levels in most of the country, Matev said. The most notable anomaly in terms of precipitation was observed in the southeast of the country (the regions of Burgas and Yambol), where precipitation was between 65% and 70% of what would be expected normally. The drought contributed to water shortages in more than 300 settlements.

The amounts of precipitation in some areas of this country reached or exceeded the usual levels. This was the case in the region of Sliven in the southeast, some mountainous areas in the southwest, Dobrich in the northeast and the northern stretch of the coastline (Shabla, Kaliakra). The warm month of February was particularly dry, with precipitation standing at 25% of the standard level.

The general trend in Bulgaria is no winter and long dry periods in the summer, the climatologist said. When the drought is followed by periods of intense precipitation, water resources are distributed unevenly throughout the year and farmers and other people dependent on the weather are unable to make precise plans.

Climate is acquiring characteristics which are not very auspicious for the normal existence of humans, according to Matev.