Orange and yellow alerts issued as freezing rain, sleet loom

HungaroMet Zrt. ramped up the warnings on Monday afternoon, issuing second-level (orange) alerts for freezing rain across parts of Csongrád-Csanád and Békés counties—and later extending them to border areas in Bács-Kiskun county.

Freezing rain looms, turning roads into skating rinks

In their alert sent to MTI, forecasters warned of prolonged, multi-hour bouts of freezing rain in these districts over the coming hours, with accumulations potentially exceeding 1 millimetre.

A band of precipitation is sweeping in from the southwest, gaining strength as it pushes northeast. Snow will blanket much of the country, with significant build-ups likely across large areas by Tuesday morning.

Expect a general snow layer of 5-10 centimetres; northwest regions, the Little Plain, and the Sopron area may see less, while southern spots and the central Great Plain could pile up 10-15 centimetres.

Orange and yellow warnings

From late Monday afternoon through to Tuesday dawn, eastern and southeastern counties—especially their eastern halves—face a prolonged shift from precipitation to freezing rain or sleet, with up to 1-4 millimetres possible. This could coat surfaces in thick ice. By Tuesday morning, snow will gradually take over from the west, easing off temporarily.

HungaroMet has second-level (orange) warnings for freezing rain until midnight Monday in Békés, Hajdú-Bihar, and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg counties. First-level (lemon yellow) alerts for light freezing rain cover Bács-Kiskun, Csongrád-Csanád, and Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok counties.

Forecasters predict more than 5 centimetres of fresh snow within 12 hours by midnight Monday in Baranya, Bács-Kiskun, Békés, Csongrád-Csanád, Fejér, Hajdú-Bihar, Heves, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komárom-Esztergom, Pest, Somogy, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, Tolna, Vas, Veszprém, and Zala counties—triggering first-level snow alerts there.

Leave your car at home if you can

Dániel Mukics, spokesperson for the National Directorate General for Disaster Management, urged MTI readers to check weather alerts and road conditions before heading out—and if possible, avoid travel during active freezing rain warnings.

He stressed driving only well-maintained vehicles prepped for winter, at slower speeds with extra caution.

Drivers should

• top up fuel beyond the usual,
• pack charged mobiles,
• spare clothes, water,
• and snacks for potential breakdowns or long waits.

Avoid parking under power lines or branches, which could snap in the ice. Pedestrians, tread carefully—and if you spot fallen trees, downed wires, or stranded motorists or walkers, dial 112 immediately.

Read also:

• Heavy snowfall continues: second-degree warning issued, another 15-20cm of snow expected – nationwide disruptions
• Airbus plane skids off Budapest Airport runway amid intense snowfall – photo, video