A suffocating heat dome sweeping across Western Europe brought record-breaking temperatures to Hungary yesterday, with 42C recorded in Szécsény — the highest ever measured in the country. The capital also sweltered in oppressive heat, prompting police to deploy water cannon at Heroes’ Square. Rather than fleeing, crowds gathered, eager to cool off under the jets of water.
Records tumble nationwide
Daily temperature records have fallen in rapid succession across Budapest and much of the country in recent days. The heat dome drifting eastwards from Western Europe has produced conditions exceptional even by historical standards. Unsurprisingly, Hungary’s water infrastructure has come under strain, with outages reported in several settlements, forcing authorities to supply drinking water by tanker.
Amid the extreme heat and growing water shortages, Prime Minister Péter Magyar urged residents to limit their use of mains water to essential needs only.
Storms are expected to follow, with heavy downpours already reported in parts of the country yesterday. Forecasters warn that over the next 24 hours, an incoming cold front will bring increasingly frequent storms, including torrential rain, gale-force winds and violent cloudbursts.
For now, however, the focus remained on the heat, and many welcomed the arrival of police water cannon at Heroes’ Square, where officers doused both the sun-baked plaza and the people gathered there.
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More to come
The cooling spectacle is set to return today between 2 PM and 5 PM.
Police said that although temperatures are expected to ease in the coming days, heightened vigilance remains essential. “We ask everyone to continue looking out for themselves and for others — children, the elderly and those in more vulnerable situations. A bottle of water, a patch of shade, a quick check on a parked car, a simple question of concern. Sometimes that is all it takes to prevent tragedy,” the force said in a statement, as reported by Csaba Balog.
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