Bulgaria Records One of Its Warmest Novembers in 15 Years – Plevna Patriot

November 2025 stood out across Bulgaria for being unseasonably warm and notably wet, placing it among the warmest Novembers of the past decade and a half and underscoring a broader pattern of late-autumn warmth across Europe.

Preliminary figures compiled through November 28 indicate monthly average temperatures generally between 7.5°C and 14°C nationwide—around 1.5°C to 4.5°C above the climatic norm. The early days of the month were particularly balmy, tilting the overall average upward as autumn edged toward winter.

Several locations broke into early-spring-like territory. The highest reading of the month came on November 2 in Veliko Tarnovo, where the thermometer hit 25.9°C. At the colder end of the spectrum, Chepelare dipped to -4.4°C on November 25, while Bulgaria’s highest summit, Musala, registered a harsh -12.0°C the same day. Sofia mirrored the national contrast: the capital peaked at 21.8°C on November 1 and fell to -0.6°C on November 24.

Wetter Than Usual, With Short-Lived River Surges

Rainfall landed around or above average in most regions, extending a wetter pattern compared with last year. Although this November brought more precipitation than in 2024, totals still lagged behind those seen in 2023.

Several intense bursts punctuated the month. Sandanski recorded the heaviest 24-hour downpour—75 millimetres—on November 22. These episodes triggered brief rises in river levels, particularly in western and southern Bulgaria, but did not lead to significant flooding. In Sofia, cumulative rainfall reached 63 millimetres, about 165 percent of the city’s November norm, with the heaviest single-day total—18 millimetres—falling on November 19.

Meteorologists highlighted a series of wet spells: November 6–8, 10–11, 19–22, and 27–28. The pattern produced unsettled, changeable weather and intermittent hydrological responses without major disruptions.

A Regional Signal of a Warming Climate

The warm, wet November aligns with late-autumn anomalies documented across much of Europe this year. Persistent intrusions of warm air and shifts in atmospheric circulation helped fuel above-normal temperatures over the continent, reinforcing a signal that scientists have been tracking for years: autumns are trending milder, and seasonal transitions are increasingly blurred.

Such Novembers carry implications beyond the monthly statistics. Prolonged warmth can delay the onset of winter conditions, alter plant dormancy cycles, and complicate planning in agriculture and forestry. Warmer air also holds more moisture, which can favor heavier rainfall events and more frequent swings between wet and dry periods. As a result, hydrological systems may experience sharper, short-term rises in river levels—even when overall precipitation remains within manageable bounds.

What It Means for the Season Ahead

While full-year climate assessments will come later, early indications suggest 2025 may rank among Bulgaria’s warmest years on record. Forecasters are watching the early winter period for signs of reduced snowfall at lower elevations, shorter-lived snow cover, and wider temperature fluctuations. Those shifts—if they materialize—could influence water availability, winter tourism, and infrastructure planning.

For now, November’s data add to a growing body of evidence pointing to a warming trajectory across the region. This does not rule out cold snaps or snowy periods in the months ahead, but it increases the likelihood of winters characterized by variability: brief cold spells punctuating longer stretches of milder weather, with precipitation toggling between rain and snow based on elevation and short-term air mass changes.

Monitoring and Adaptation Remain Critical

Even without major weather-related disruptions this November, climate variability is raising the stakes for preparedness. Urban drainage systems, flood-prone valleys, and agricultural zones are particularly sensitive to bursts of heavy rainfall and rapid temperature swings. Continued monitoring—especially during multi-day precipitation episodes—can reduce risk to communities and infrastructure, while long-term adaptation strategies will help buffer sectors like farming, energy, and transport against increasingly erratic seasonal patterns.

In short, Bulgaria’s warm and unsettled November fits within a broader European climate context: a month that looked more like a mild shoulder season than a gateway to winter, and a reminder that the nation’s weather is evolving in step with a warming world.