Georgi Rachev warns Bulgaria will face near‑40°C heat next week

Bulgaria is currently in a cooler "retro summer" but climatologist Professor Georgi Rachev told bTV that a sharp temperature rise is imminent. He predicts that from July 28‑30 the country will experience the hottest days of the month, with maximum temperatures of 39‑40 °C and a chance of exceeding 40 °C by the end of July. A brief cooling may arrive before the peak, but overall the forecast aligns with a third heat wave sweeping Western Europe, where Germany and other central European nations are already seeing extreme temperatures and some heat‑related fatalities. Rachev noted that while the Balkans have so far remained on the periphery of the heat wave, they are now expected to be directly affected.