Code orange has been issued for Bulgaria's Smolyan municipality on Friday on account of the heavy rains and expected thunderstorms.

The other twenty seven areas of the country have been warned with a yellow code due to the heavy rains and possible snow storms.

Smolyan is expecting the highest volumes of rain, reaching 30-40 liters per sq. meter, mostly in the afternoon hours, as announced by the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology with the Bulgarian Academy of Science.

Heavy rains of approximately 20 liters per square meter are also expected in the vicinities of Sofia, Pernik, Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv and Kardzhali, accompanied by strong winds.

Seven regions in South and Eastern Bulgaria have been issued a yellow code. Haskovo, Stara Zagora, Sliven, Yambol, Burgas, Varna and Dobrich will experience heavy eastern winds with speed of approximately 22-25 meters per second.

Vidin, Montana, Vratsa, Pleven, Lovetch, Gabrovo, Veliko Tarnovo, Ruse, Targovishte, Razgrad, Shumen and Silistra will face possible snowstorms, accompanied by strong eastern winds of 15-18 meters per second.

The overall weather in Bulgaria will remain predominantly cloudy. The western part of Bulgaria will experience light rain in the morning. The prognosis for the central and eastern parts of the country are similar, and the rainfalls are expected to intensify as the day progresses.