Egg-sized hail has caused widespread damage throughout the city, cobblestone streets have been torn up and scores of cars have been crushed.
– Very large material damage. Broken windows, broken roofs, broken roof tiles, fallen trees, the city’s mayor Galya Zaharieva said in Bulgarian BNT.
Videos on social media show how the storm ripped off roofs and how the torrent of rain washes around cobblestones in the city.
Schools are closed all day and a warning has been issued for further hail showers.
The storm started last week and gained new momentum during the night.