A cold front will sweep across Hungary on Sunday, bringing thunderous weather, strong winds and a marked drop in temperatures, according to Hungary’s national meteorological service, HungaroMet.
Nationwide weather warnings remain in force
A first-level weather warning has been issued for the entire country due to the risk of thunderstorms, while some areas are also under more immediate storm alerts. Forecasters warn that some storms could become severe, producing torrential downpours, damaging wind gusts and large hailstones.
On Saturday, thunderstorms are expected to develop first near the south-western and north-eastern borders before becoming more widespread during the evening, particularly across southern Hungary. Wind gusts of 60–75 km/h, rainfall of 20–30 mm and hail are all possible, while isolated severe storms could bring gusts exceeding 80 km/h and local cloudbursts.
Stormy weather to intensify on Sunday afternoon
The warning will remain in effect throughout Sunday. During the morning, thunderstorms are most likely across northern and north-eastern Hungary, although isolated storms cannot be ruled out elsewhere.
From around midday, the approaching cold front from the north-west is expected to trigger more widespread thunderstorms. These could bring wind gusts of 65–85 km/h, intense rainfall and small hail, while isolated severe cells may produce winds above 90 km/h, hailstones larger than 2 cm and more than 30 mm of rain in a short period. The storm system is forecast to move eastwards and leave the country by late evening.
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Cooler week ahead, but drought concerns remain
Behind the front, significantly cooler air of Arctic origin will spread across the Carpathian Basin. According to HungaroMet, daytime temperatures will generally range between 25°C and 30°C at the beginning of next week, before falling even further from the middle of the week as another pulse of cooler air arrives. Highs are expected to remain around or below the seasonal average for several days.
While the incoming rainfall will be welcome after months of severe drought, meteorologists caution that showers and thunderstorms will be highly localised. Some communities may receive 20–30 mm of rain, while neighbouring areas remain almost completely dry, meaning the country’s exceptionally dry soils are unlikely to recover quickly.
Read also: Hungary gripped by alarming drought as iconic lakes and rivers face unprecedented peril
