Brace for extreme cold: Parts of Hungary could wake up to –20°C on Monday!

Hungary is facing a spell of extreme cold, with temperatures expected to plunge well below freezing across large parts of the country early on Monday, according to a warning issued by HungaroMet on Sunday.

Forecasts suggest that in many areas the mercury could drop below –15°C, while in some locations temperatures may fall to –20°C or even lower.

Where the cold will hit hardest

From the first half of the night, temperatures are likely to sink below –15°C mainly in the western and south-western parts of Transdanubia. By Monday morning, similar lows are expected in the south-eastern regions of the Great Plain and the western areas of the Northern Mountain Range.

The south-west of the country is expected to be particularly affected, with temperatures around –20°C or below by Monday morning. From Monday evening into late night, clear, calm north-eastern areas could also see temperatures dropping close to or below –15°C.

Weather warnings issued

HungaroMet has issued a second-level (orange) weather warning for Zala and Somogy counties, where temperatures may fall below –20°C on Monday.

A first-level (yellow) warning is also in force for several other counties, including Győr-Moson-Sopron, Vas, Veszprém and Baranya in Transdanubia, as well as Nógrád, Heves, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok and Békés. In these areas, temperatures are expected to drop below –15°C.

• Snowdrift warnings issued in several regions in Hungary: Avoid travelling unless absolutely necessary

Sunday morning already bitterly cold

While no new seasonal record was broken, the cold has already made itself felt. According to HungaroMet, Saturday night was freezing, with the national average temperature dropping to –12°C by early Sunday morning.

An infographic shared by the meteorological service shows that the lowest temperature was recorded at the Szikszó waterworks weather station in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, where the thermometer fell to –20.8°C.

Temperatures of –20.6°C were also measured in Edelény and Gagybátor (Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county), as well as in northern Nyíregyháza and Nyírtass in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county.

Interestingly, Zabar in Nógrád county—a location often associated with Hungary’s cold records—did not make it into the list of the ten coldest stations this time.

With icy mornings and dangerously low temperatures ahead, authorities urge residents to take extra care, especially when travelling or spending time outdoors.