Budapest’s iconic bath, national gallery seriously damaged in the extreme thunderstorm

The Saturday thunderstorm caused damages in Budapest, the repair costs are well above HUF billions. For example, the popular Csepel beach had to close for a while because of the damages it suffered due to the extreme weather. However, even iconic baths like the Széchenyi near the City Park and the national gallery in the Buda Castle were damaged.

According to Infostart, several Budapest beaches suffered considerable damages during the Saturday thunderstorm and hail. Ildikó Borosné Szűts, the CEO of the Budapest Spas cPlc, the weather caused disruptions in two baths and beaches in Budapest. One is the beach of Pesterzsébet, where the storm was heavy. Water got through to the cash desks and the machinery room. Therefore, mechanics had to pump out the water continuously.

Outdoor devices were also harmed because the soil could not soak the huge amount of water that had hit it in such a short time interval. Gardeners are working on the re-establishment of the environment tirelessly, she added.

The other place seriously hit by the storm causing disruptions was Budapest’s iconic Széchenyi bath near the City Park. The roof above an office collapsed because it could not hold the tremendous amount of water. As a result, a stucco also tumbled. Moreover, their astonishing marble hall also got soaked. Water rushed inwards below the doors, but their colleagues preserved their cold blood. Thus, they could restore everything by the dawn opening.

They are still measuring the damage caused by the storm, and will send the list to the insurer afterwards. Mrs Szűts said traffic in Budapest’s beaches and spas is behind the level of 2022 because of the unfavourable weather. That applies to July as well. Budapest’s beaches will remain open until 31 August, and they hope summer will return next week.

Artwork in the Hungarian National Gallery also damaged

Not only the beaches and spas were damaged during the weekend thunderstorm. According to Forbes, the Hungarian National Gallery closed because of the extreme storm. The roof was soaked, and the water could reach even the exhibited artworks. According to a source of 444.hu, the water damaged the art storage and exhibited artworks in several rooms. For example, they needed to take down some of the pieces from the Gulácsy exhibition because water flowed on the walls. The home of the national gallery:

Interestingly, the Hungarian National Gallery’s home is the palace building in Buda Castle. However, it regularly gets soaked during heavy rains. That concerns not only the surrounding of the dome but also some of the walls and the stores. The national gallery shared the following post about the sad events:

“Due to the extremely heavy rains of the past few days, several exhibition spaces of the Hungarian National Gallery have suffered a leak, but thanks to the immediate measures taken, the art collection was not damaged. The exhibitions will be temporarily closed, probably until the second half of the week, while the causes of the water damage are investigated. THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING!”

HERE you may read our article on Europe’s two best thermal spas that are in Hungary. In THIS article, you may get information about the construction of the new national gallery in the City Park.

After weekend storm, lives, property protected

The Hungarian authorities have successfully protected lives and property after the past weekend’s storm during which a month’s worth of rain deluged most of the country, a government official said on Tuesday. Investments in flood protection, firming up dams and new equipment for disaster prevention were instrumental in protection efforts, Bence Retvari, interior ministry parliamentary state secretary told a press conference. The government has set aside a force majeure fund of HUF 2.6 billion (EUR 6.7 million) available to local councils that submit claims within seven days of a natural disaster, he noted.