Bulgaria is set for a cold snap in the next few days, with the first symptoms of a big chill striking the northern part of the country on January 22 2010 when temperatures fell to below -23 degrees C in places.
 
In the Silistra region, Alfatar and Glavinitsa each recorded temperatures of about -23 and could reach lows not seen in the past 30 years, possibly as low as -25, although it was unlikely that temperatures in the area would fall below -30 degrees, Bulgarian National Television said.
 
On January 22, weather in the mountains was reported to be uniformly below zero. Cherni Vruh was -14, Aleko -9, Moussala Peak -15 and Rozhen – 11 degrees.
 
Forecasts were for snow in most parts of Bulgaria on January 23, with maximum temperatures ranging in most places from -5 to -10. Rain was expected in south-eastern Bulgaria and along the Black Sea coast.
 
Cold temperatures were expected to continue on January 24, plummeting further on January 25 when minimum temperatures were forecast to be -12 to -17, down to -22 in northern Bulgaria, but with slightly warmer temperatures in western Bulgaria, although maximums there could remain below zero.
 
Later in the week, cold weather would continue, with a chance of rain in the middle of the week.
 
In a media statement on January 22, the General Labour Inspectorate said that the law allowed that in the event of harsh weather conditions, employers could change staff working hours and were required to provide working conditions that were safe and did not put employees’ health at risk.