As the United States are being hit by a grisly arctic wave and the European Atlantic coast is swept by a sea storm, temperatures in parts of Bulgaria are well above the normal for early January.

Tuesday two temperature records have been measured over the territory of the country - in Pazardzhik, where thermometers showed 15.6 degrees Celsius, and Kazanlak - 15 C, both towns in central southern Bulgaria.

Vratsa and Lovech in northern Bulgaria also registered pleasant highs, 16 and 15 C respectively, with that being the highest temperatures for the country Tuesday, announced Bulgaria's National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology.

However, a lasting fog left temperatures well below the 10s, with temperature in capital Sofia not going above 2.5 C, and highs of 3 C for other parts of Bulgaria's west.

There are no preconditions for the lifting of the fog Wednesday, said the weather service, which on that account has placed code yellow for large parts of the country.