Hungary has only a few days of relatively comfortable summer weather left before another long-lasting heatwave arrives, according to medium-range weather forecasts.

Forecasters say temperatures will begin rising steadily from next Tuesday, with early August expected to bring widespread highs above 35°C, while some areas could once again see temperatures close to 40°C. According to weather portal Időkép, current forecast models indicate that the hot spell could continue until at least 7 August, with no significant cooling in sight.

Pleasant weekend before the heat returns

Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny across Hungary, with only occasional thin and fair-weather clouds. No rainfall is forecast, and afternoon temperatures should reach 25–30°C, offering ideal conditions for outdoor activities.

Sunday will start with another relatively cool morning, with temperatures between 9°C and 19°C. During the afternoon, cloud cover will increase from the west, bringing scattered showers and thunderstorms first to western Hungary before spreading towards central and eastern parts of the country later in the day.

Strong southerly and south-westerly winds are expected in many areas, particularly across Transdanubia and central Hungary, while thunderstorms may produce locally severe gusts. Afternoon highs will range between 29°C and 34°C.

Hellish heatwave heat dome over Hungary
Photo: Facebook/Karácsony Gergely

Heat builds rapidly next week

A cold front passing through on Monday may still trigger isolated showers and thunderstorms. However, meteorologists expect weather patterns to change quickly afterwards.

From Tuesday onwards, south-westerly airflows are forecast to bring increasingly hot air into the Carpathian Basin, causing temperatures to climb day by day.

According to Időkép, the first days of August are expected to bring persistent daytime temperatures well above 35°C across most of Hungary, with some locations potentially reaching or even exceeding 40°C.

Tropical nights expected to return

The heat will not be limited to daytime hours. Forecasters also expect nights to become progressively warmer, making restful sleep increasingly difficult. From the second half of next week,

temperatures in many parts of the country may remain above 20°C overnight, meeting the definition of so-called tropical nights.

Drought conditions likely to worsen

The returning heatwave is also expected to intensify Hungary’s ongoing drought. With scorching sunshine and little or no rainfall forecast for several consecutive days, soil moisture levels are likely to deteriorate further.

As Daily News Hungary reported, according to the latest data from HungaroMet, 90.2% of Hungary is currently experiencing at least moderate agricultural drought, highlighting the growing pressure on crops and water resources after an already exceptionally dry summer.

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