Flood in Hungary: Danube peaks in Budapest, gradual recession expected

On Saturday, the Danube reached its highest level in Budapest at 5 AM with 830 centimetres, according to the latest data from 8 AM. It has been receding since then.

Danube peaks in Budapest at dawn

The water management authority’s freshest figures indicate that between 7 and 8 AM, the river dropped by 2 centimeters in the capital. The river peaked around 5 AM at 830 centimeters, with 827 centimeters measured by 8 AM, Infostart reports. This marks the fourth-highest flood level ever recorded in Budapest, surpassing the 2010 flood by a few centimeters on its final day.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán inspects flood protection work on the Danube from a motorboat in Budapest on 21 September 2024. Photo: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán mentioned in his flood briefing that riverbanks could reopen as early as next week, but the water level decline is expected to be slow.

According to the water management website, the water level could drop to 620 centimeters by 25 September, at which point traffic along the riverbanks may resume, greatly improving the city’s transportation flow.

Further up the river, near Göd, the Danube is also receding. As local reports mentioned, by 9 AM, the water had dropped by 4 centimeters from its 2 AM peak, though the recession there remains sluggish as well.

Read all our reports on flooding in Hungary HERE.

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• Flood PHOTO REPORT: Hungary underwater
• Budapest metro station to close, flood situation is ‘serious’ – PHOTOS