site.btaSummer 2024 Was This Century's Hottest and among the Driest in Bulgaria

The summer of 2024 - the months of June, July and August - has been the hottest and one of the driest in Bulgaria since the beginning of the century, the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology said here Thursday. The highest temperature was 42.2 C and was measured in the southern town of Sandanski on July 16.

June was the warmest since 1930 and July was almost as warm as July of 2012, which is the warmest ever on record. August was also one of the warmest August months.

Rainfall across most of the country were below or around the seasonal norm. After a cool and rainy May, June was drier than usual, leading to an early drought in July. There were many wildfires. The drought continued into August, with the Danube Plain and the Upper Thracian Plain being worst affected.

The largest 24-hour rainfall in the past summer was 113 mm of rain which was measured during a hail storm in Samokov on June 10.