Hungary has never seen a summer this hot: Here are the facts

heatwave summer
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Two of the three hottest months in the past 123 years have occurred this summer since temperatures have been officially recorded in Hungary. It is, therefore, no surprise that the seasonal temperature record has been broken. Alarmingly, this summer was nearly 3 degrees hotter than the average of the past three decades.

Summer, 2024

June was already warmer than usual, but the last two months of summer were exceptionally hot. This summer also saw the longest and most intense heatwave on record, breaking the seasonal temperature record for the second time in three years.

Daily data shows that August’s average temperature was nearly the same as July’s. As previously reported by Hungaromet, July was only a hair’s breadth away from being the hottest month in 123 years. This time, the record might well be broken.

The numbers

Daily data shows that August’s average temperature was nearly the same as July’s. As previously reported by Hungaromet, July was only a hair’s breadth away from being the hottest month in 123 years. This time, the record might well be broken.

  • The average summer temperature between 1991 and 2020 was 2.6 degrees lower than in 2024. The upward trend is evident, as the five hottest summers since 1901 have all occurred after 2000, with three of them in the past six years.
  • According to initial calculations, the average temperature in August was 24.45 degrees Celsius. This is 0.04 degrees Celsius higher than the figure calculated from the same data set one month earlier. Based on final figures, the average temperature in July was only 0.01 degrees Celsius below the historical record, which explains how this record-setting month came about.

Records are falling one by one

This summer’s record also means we have experienced an entire year in which every season has set a new warmth record. This pattern was observed last autumn, continued through winter, and persisted into this spring.

The average temperature over the past 12 months was 13.5 degrees Celsius, nearly 3 degrees above the average for the 30 years between 1991 and 2020, despite those decades not being particularly cold in Hungary.

It is also worth noting that there were 28 days of heat warnings issued during the summer, with five more in early September. However, this number could have been seven days higher, as the national average temperature exceeded 25 degrees Celsius on 35 days in the three months leading up to 31 August.

What can we expect?

September, the first month of autumn, has also begun with a heatwave. The heat warning is currently in effect until 5 September. suggesting we can expect average daily temperatures of over 25 degrees Celsius for the next few days.

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