Several towns and villages in Pest County have introduced drinking water restrictions or urged residents to conserve supplies as extreme heat drives a surge in consumption, the Hungarian news agency MTI has reported, citing local authorities and utility providers.
Drinking water restrictions to avoid possible water shortages
Daköv Kft., a water company owned by 64 municipalities, has called on customers across its service area to use drinking water sparingly in order to maintain continuous and secure supply and to avoid the need for stricter restrictions, according to a statement published on its official website, the Hungarian news agency wrote. The appeal applies to residents in a wide range of settlements, including Aszód, Bag, Dány, Domony, Galgahévíz, Gyömrő, Isaszeg, Tura, Valkó, as well as numerous others across the region.
Meanwhile, the municipalities of Erdőkertes, Szada, Őrbottyán and Veresegyház have informed residents via official and social media channels that, at the initiative of the Duna Menti Regional Waterworks, a first-level water restriction has been imposed from 27 June until further notice. The measure comes in response to prolonged heat, a lack of rainfall and sharply increased water usage.
Authorities said the aim is to safeguard continuous and safe drinking water supply. During the restriction period, residents are urged to use water sparingly. The measures prohibit hosepipe use between 6am and 11pm, street and pavement washing, operation of automatic irrigation systems, washing vehicles with hoses, and filling swimming pools from the mains.
The situation is worsening
In Veresegyház, local officials warned that consumption has not fallen to the required levels despite the restrictions. With demand remaining exceptionally high amid the persistent heat, the water supply system continues to be under severe strain, and “the situation is worsening”, prompting calls for greater public cooperation.
In Páty, a first-level restriction has been in force since Sunday until further notice. Pécel introduced similar measures earlier, from 24 June, at the request of the South Pest County Water Utility Company. Daytime watering has been banned, with the use of drinking water for irrigation or pool filling prohibited between 6am and 10pm.
A heat dome reached Hungary on Saturday, bringing extreme heat that could break long-standing temperature records over the next two days. The system is expected to remain in place until Wednesday, when a cold front is forecast to move into the Carpathian Basin, bringing cooler and more unsettled conditions.
Péter Magyar: Over 130,000 litres of drinking water distributed over weekend
Efforts to combat the heat continued throughout the weekend, with more than 130,000 litre of drinking water distributed at more than 400 locations nationwide, and misting stations set up at 722 locations, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Monday.
Restrictions on water use were announced in 110 municipalities, and firefighters had to respond to more than 350 outdoor fires over the weekend, Magyar said in a video posted on Facebook. A report from the national hospital directorate showed that no scheduled surgery was canceled over the weekend.
Air conditioning systems malfunctioned in five intensive care units, and repairs began immediately, he said. He added that several hospitals, including the National Institute of Oncology, are experiencing disruptions due to the failure to carry out previously scheduled maintenance on their air conditioning systems. Health Minister Zsolt Hegedus is in constant contact with the hospitals, and the government is providing all possible support to resolve the malfunctions as soon as possible, Magyar said.
Red alert in Hungary: what the highest heat warning means
Magyar said speed limits were in effect on 25 railway lines across the state raiways MÁV network due to the extreme heat, and thousands of bottles of mineral water were distributed to motorists stuck in traffic jams on the M1 and M7 highways. Tens of thousands of people attended outdoor events throughout the country over the weekend, and the Hungarian armed forces supplied drinking water, including 14,000 bags of drinking water to participants of the Pride march in Budapest.
Daily heat record broken – and not only in Hungary
The daily heat record was broken on Sunday, with a temperature of 40.7 degrees Celsius measured in Budakalasz, near Budapest, and the extreme heat has not yet ended, he said. As a result, working from home has been mandated wherever possible in the public sector for Monday and Tuesday, and all employers were asked to allow the possibility of remote work or reduced working hours if possible, he added. He asked restaurants and other food service providers to offer a glass of drinking water and, if necessary, access to restrooms for anyone in need over the next few days, and he also requested that churches, public institutions, and air-conditioned facilities remain open for the next two days.
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