October's average temperatures will be close to normal, with rainfall around or above normal, meteorologist Krasimir Stoev of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology told BTA.

Highs for the month will range from 22 to 27 degrees, with lows between minus 5 and 0 degrees. The east will see higher temperatures than the rest of the country.

Normal monthly averages are 11 to 15 degrees in the lowlands, 10 to 13 degrees on higher plateaus, and 0 to 7 degrees in the mountains.

Most of the country can expect 40 to 70 litres of rain per square metre, rising to 50 to 100 litres in the southeast.

The first ten days start with a flow of air from the northeast and temperatures below normal, before a slight rise around mid-period. On the first few days of the month, and again around October 6-8, skies will be mostly cloudy, with rain in many places and a higher chance of heavy downpours.

Toward the end of the first ten days, a Mediterranean storm system will move through and bring noticeably colder weather, mainly lower minimum temperatures. Once skies clear and winds die down, frost will form in many places.

The second ten-day period opens with a slight warm-up, but clouds will build again, and by mid-period there's once more a higher chance of rain. High pressure then moves in, bringing dry weather with breaks in the clouds in some areas, while fog or low cloud sits over the lowlands. Cold air from the northeast will push in around the edge of the high, and temperatures will drop more sharply.

At the start and end of the third ten-day period, Stoev expects unsettled weather with rain, followed by colder air. The middle of the period should be calmer, with fog in the lowlands and mostly sunny skies in the mountains.

October is a classic autumn month, and average daily temperatures drop noticeably. Mornings turn cold, fog becomes more frequent, cold air pushes in more often, and frost follows whenever skies clear. The number of overcast days rises, averaging six to nine, with more rainy days too, and in the mountains snow falls at the highest points at some point during the month. There are also plenty of fine days, stretches that feel like "summer's return".

Along the Black Sea coast, temperatures stay higher because the sea is still fairly warm, and the chance of frost there is minimal.

In Sofia, the sun rises at 7:24am and sets at 7:08pm at the start of October, giving 11 hours and 44 minutes of daylight. By the end of the month, sunrise is at 6:59am and sunset at 5:21pm, with daylight down to 10 hours and 22 minutes.

The Moon reaches its last quarter on October 3, new moon falls on the 10th, first quarter on the 18th, and full moon on October 26.