Today's weather for Sofia, Bulgaria25th Jul 2008 06:00

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Weather Overview for Sofia

Sofia is the historic capital of Bulgaria- one of the oldest cities in Europe. The city lies at the foot of the mountain ‘massif Vitosha’ deep in the Sofia Valley. The valley is surrounded by mountains on all four sides and lies 530 metres above sea level. Because of its high elevation and its proximity to mountains, valleys and sea, Sofia experiences a wide range in weather conditions.

The climate in the region is continental, it is cold and snowy in winter and hot and wet in summer. Usually hot and wet combines to produce humid conditions; however Sofia’s elevation means that it maintains relatively low average humidity throughout summer compared with other areas within Bulgaria.

While summers in Sofia can get very hot, it is in fact cooler than many other, lower lying, areas of Bulgaria. In addition to this, its privileged position surrounded by mountains also means that it is sheltered from the freezing winter winds that come from northern Europe.

Winter in Sofia sees temperatures sitting at freezing point throughout December to February. On average the mercury doesn’t rise above 5 degrees on many occasions, and January only sees average maximums of 2 degrees. Night time can get particularly cold, with the average minimum falling to a brisk -4.9 degrees in January and -2 in February. (see the table for average annual highs/lows)

Winter can see snowfall so you can head to Sofia to enjoy various winter activities, generally though the locals head to different areas within Bulgaria to take part in winter sports. There are, on average, about 9 to 11 days of recorded rainfall each month throughout winter but the months from December to February are the driest of the year.

Sofia can get very hot in summer with temperatures seeing an average daily maximum of 30 degrees throughout the month of August. On average summer sees highs of 28 degrees and at night time the temperature will not fall below 10 degrees. Fortunately (or not so fortunately) summer is also the wettest period in the city, so relief from the heat is provided in the form of daily showers. Rainfall begins to pick up in late spring and continues throughout summer before dying down in autumn. May through until July sees the most rainfall.

Summer can be a great time to visit Sofia, while it is warm it is still cooler than other areas in the country as the elevation has the effect of tempering the heat. Keep in mind that many locals flock to coastal resorts in August to take their summer holidays, sot his may mean that some cafes, shops and Mehami’s (traditional Bulgarian taverns) may be closed for a period of time.

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