PHOTOS, VIDEO: Flash flooding, severe storms, and major traffic disruptions hit Hungary on Sunday

Hungary was hit by a wave of severe weather on Sunday, as thunderstorms, torrential rainfall, and flash floods swept across large parts of the country. The sudden change in weather not only caused local flooding and road closures but also led to major traffic jams as holidaymakers attempted to return home from Lake Balaton ahead of the storm front.

Traffic chaos on roads from Balaton

Heavy traffic developed on both the northern and southern shores of Lake Balaton, with long queues forming on Routes 71 and 7. The M7 motorway, a major artery connecting the lake to Budapest, became severely congested in the early afternoon. According to Útinform, vehicles were moving slowly from around kilometre 112 near Zamárdi/Siófok West all the way to the Székesfehérvár section heading toward the capital.

The situation worsened due to an intense thunderstorm moving between Székesfehérvár and Budapest, affecting visibility and road conditions. Wet pavement and deteriorating visibility slowed traffic in both directions, including along the M1 motorway from Bicske toward the capital, Telex reported. The 710 main road and the Siófok–Székesfehérvár stretch of Route 7 were also heavily affected by increased traffic volume and weather conditions.

Flash flooding in Southern Hungary

In Somogy County, the long-awaited rainfall arrived with a vengeance. Overnight thunderstorms were followed by heavy morning downpours, which quickly overwhelmed drainage systems and led to flash flooding across multiple towns, including Csököly, Jákó, and Gige, Sonline wrote. In Kaposvár, locals were woken by thunder and torrential rain, with reports of up to 48.6 millimetres of rainfall in just one hour.