History of the Bulgarian Meteorological and Hydrometeorological Service Vasil Andreev National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, BAS, 66 Tsarigradsko Shose Blvd, Sofia vassil.andreev@meteo.bg

       Abstract: The history of the Bulgarian Meteorological and Hydrometeorological Service (MS/HMS) –one of the first Bulgarian institutions after the Liberation, is described in a book with the same title edition of Acad. ed. "Prof. M. Drinov". Every modern state has such institution. In Bulgaria with the two acts of Council of Ministers - Order 15 of 1989 and Decree 148 of 1991, was given the present name of MS/HMS - National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH). Most of the events in the 125-year history of the Bulgarian MS/HMS are described in many articles, best stated in two book by the author in 2008 and 2014, by retail in 2015. The content is provided in 13 chapters with titles: Ch.1 “For the beginning of meteorology as a science and practice. International cooperation - a necessary condition for progress “; Ch.2 “Dissemination of knowledge and the first Bulgarian research in Physics of the atmosphere and Meteorology”; Ch.3 “The beginning of the organised activity of Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics in Bulgaria. ”; Ch.4 “Main stages in the development of MS/HMS”; Ch.5 “Characteristics of the first two stages of the history of MS/HMS - Department of Meteorology (1890-1934) and Central Meteorological and Seismological Institute (1934-1950)”; Ch.6 “The Unified HMS of Bulgaria in 1950-1989”; Ch.7 “Activities in hydrology in Bulgaria in 1900-1989”; Ch.8 “Bulgarian HMS – NIMH in BAS since 1990”; Ch.9 “A Brief History of the branches of NIMH”; Ch.10 “Unconventional activities of MS/HMS ”; Ch.11 “Prominent people of MS/HMS ”; Ch.12 “NIMH in the first decade of the XXI century”; Ch.13 Celebrating (8-9.11.2010)150 years of instrumental meteorological observations and 120 years MC/HMS The respect of NIMH in the international and national aspect was seen by the welcoming of the highest specialized international organizations presented by Dr. Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General of WMO - World Meteorological Organization, specialized authority of the United Nations; the President of the European Meteorological Association Dr. Fritz Neuwirth as well as the highest leadership of the country - National Assembly, Min. Council, BAS, many Bulgarian Universities, institutions, local authorities etc. Chapter 13 ends with a rich set of photographs of the celebration.