Rain

The maximum price for an umbrella and a deck chair on a Black Sea beach is "absurd", Bulgarian Tourism Minister Nikolina Angelkova has warned.

She has confirmed that, according to government information, there were reports of beaches offering umbrellas and deck chairs for BGN 57 (EUR 28.5) per day. Many hotels along Bulgaria's Black Sea coastline offer cheaper rooms.

Serbia's meteorological authority (RHMZ) has warned that very warm weather with highs ranging from 34 to 38 degrees Celsius will continue until August 16.

According to RHMZ forecasts, the weekend will be mostly sunny and hot, with localized thunderstorms and showers.

Heavy rain brought life to a temporary halt on the Anatolian side of Istanbul early June 23 as flooding on the E-5 highway left cars stranded and traffic stopped.

The E-5 highway was closed to traffic in both directions as vehicles had to be removed and the highway cleaned of excess water. 

After a night of steady rain and thunderstorms across Bulgaria, the weather is expected to remain cloudy and with high probability of precipitations.

Rain, thunderstorms and hail are projected for today's May 24, according to the official data presented by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

Code yellow has been issued in five southern regions of Bulgaria on account of the imminent prolific rains and expected thunderstorms. 

The warning is valid for the municipalities of Smolyan, Kardzhali and Haskovo as stated by the National Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology. The amounts of rain expected there will be between 15 and 35 liters per square meter. 

Following sunny days and beach weather, a worsening of weather conditions is expected in Greece on Monday and Tuesday. The National Meteorological Service predicts rains, showers, thunderstorms even sleet and heavy winds.

Rain and local storms around many parts of the country are expected on Monday, clearing up later in the day.

There will be northerly winds with a maximum speed of 6 Beaufort. It will be cloudy with possible rain in the north and northeast with temperatures from 8C to 18C.

The western parts may have storms on higher levels and temperatures between 10C-20C.

Local authorities will be able to rent spaces on beaches to be used as cafes and bars for two years, as opposed to one, but the businesses that sign these deals will be more limited in the alterations they can make to the natural environment.

Holy Thursday is typically a time for the mass Easter exodus to begin as people travel out of the cities to celebrate the feastday in the countryside. This year, extreme weather conditions are causing difficulties, especially for sea travel with wind velocity ranging from 7-9 Beaufort. There are local showers in central and eastern parts of the country.