Hungary weather forecast: freezing rain gives way to milder conditions

Although freezing rain is still causing disruptions across Hungary, meteorologists say the current conditions are actually a sign that a thaw is approaching.

According to Időkép, a warm front reached Hungary from the west on Monday evening, triggering a shift in atmospheric circulation. From Tuesday onward, significantly milder air masses are moving into the region in higher layers of the atmosphere on westerly and south-westerly airflow.

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What weather conditions can be expected in the next hours?

Forecasts from HungaroMet show that winds will remain mostly weak to moderate, with occasional stronger gusts possible mainly in south-western Hungary, where southerly winds may temporarily freshen.

Night-time temperatures will vary significantly:

• Minimum temperatures will generally range between –12°C and –2°C
• Even colder values are possible in the north-east
• In south-western regions, nights may be much milder, with frost-free conditions possible in some areas

When will precipitation ease?

From Tuesday afternoon, cloud cover is expected to break up in many areas, except in eastern Hungary.

• Persistent snowfall is forecast in the north-eastern and eastern third of the country
• In north-western, central, and south-eastern regions, precipitation may fall as freezing rain or sleet, locally turning into rain
• From the west, precipitation is expected to weaken rapidly, with south-western and western Hungary becoming dry first

By Tuesday evening, the main precipitation zone is forecast to move east and south-east out of Hungary, although isolated freezing drizzle and light snow flurries may still occur, especially in the north-east.

What can we expect on Wednesday?

On Wednesday, skies will remain mostly overcast, although cloud cover may thin temporarily in south-western Hungary.

• Persistent snowfall is expected across the north-eastern and eastern half of the country
• In western and south-western Hungary, precipitation will change from freezing rain to rain, then quickly ease
• First-level weather warnings due to freezing rain are currently in force for Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg counties
• Southerly winds will pick up slightly in southern regions