Severe winter weather in Hungary: authorities may issue travel warnings due to freezing rain

Hungarian authorities have urged the public to exercise extreme caution as severe winter weather continues across the country, warning that no one should travel in areas where freezing rain alerts are in effect, regardless of the alert level.

Weather in Hungary – latest information

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, the spokesperson of the National Directorate General for Disaster Management said that while no weather alerts are currently in force, conditions could deteriorate rapidly in the coming hours.

“If freezing rain warnings are issued—whether yellow, orange, or red—people in the affected areas should avoid travelling altogether,” the spokesperson stressed.

Roads and railways: situation stabilising, but risks remain

Despite the harsh conditions over the weekend, authorities confirmed that there are currently no isolated settlements or closed road sections anywhere in Hungary. On Sunday, several roads in central Transdanubia were temporarily closed due to snowdrifts, with snow accumulation reaching up to 20 centimetres in some places. These closures were lifted by Sunday evening.

Road maintenance crews worked continuously throughout the weekend, deploying around 150 machines nationwide to clear snow and carry out de-icing operations.

Rail transport was temporarily disrupted on Sunday due to frozen railway switches, forcing the use of replacement buses on several lines and causing delays of 35 to 90 minutes. By Monday, most services had returned to near-normal operation, with delays reduced to 5–10 minutes. A small number of rural settlements remain inaccessible by bus, though all are reachable by car.

Authorities emphasized that public services, healthcare, air traffic, and inland water transport are operating normally.

Ice on rivers: strict safety rules apply

Ice drift has been observed on both the Danube and the Tisza rivers, with continuous ice cover forming on some sections. Icebreaker vessels are on standby, though deployment has not yet been necessary.

Officials reiterated that stepping onto river ice is strictly prohibited everywhere. On lakes and other still waters, access to ice is permitted only where the managing authority has officially measured ice thickness of at least 10–12 centimetres and designated the area as safe.

Emergency responses and community support

Firefighters were called out to 54 locations on Sunday in connection with the extreme weather. Notably, 41 building fires were reported—higher than average for this time of year—though no ice-rescue operations were required.