The peaking arrived at the Danube Bend and authorities expect the water level will rise by an additional 0.5 metres in Budapest where all dams are ready to receive the flood. Here is our photo report about Hungary under the water brought by Cyclone Boris. Bad news is that such extremities will happen due to climate change and global warming.
Kisoroszi on the Northern tip of the Szentendre Island. Based on news outlets, one of the residents of the charming Hungarian town is 92 years old, but she did not abandon her house. She waits there for the end of the flood:
Photo: MTI
Photo: MTI
The lower embankments of Budapest underwater on Thursday:
Sandbags protecting the Batthány Square metro station. The metro does not stop there from today.
Photo: MTI
Budapest’s Margaret Island with the Margaret Bridge. Citizens no longer enter the Southern regions of the island, the Palatinus Bath has closed and even a mini zoo had to be evacuated due to the flood. The island is one of the weakest points of the flood protection system in Hungary.
Photo: MTI
UPDATE: Budapest Danube embankments occupied by the Danube:
The Danube flood is visible from space. Scroll down in THISarticle for the a video.
Leitha at Hegyeshalom:
Photo: MTI
PM Orbán: Six more days to go
According to forecasts, heightened preparedness in flood defence will have to stay in place for six more days, until next Thursday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told a press conference. The prime minister on Friday praised protection efforts, saying that there were ample number of volunteers and coordination between state and municipal protection bodies had been seamless so far.
People also seemed “calmer” than during the 2013 floods, he said. “We can say this time: nothing is happening that we haven’t seen before, and there is no danger that we haven’t avoided at least once already.” While the situation is serious, “there is no need to rush”, Orbán said. If everyone stays in their place over the weekend, “everything will be fine”, he said. Orbán said he expected Hungarians to “come out strengthened” from the situation.
Orbán against the flood. Photo: MTI
Forecasts accurate so far, key to flood defence, says the prime minister
Forecasts of flood peaks have been accurate so far, and this is key to the success of defence efforts, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told a press conference on Friday. Regarding the River Leitha, surrounding areas were successfully protected throughout a ten-hour peak, and the situation is improving, he said. As regards the River Danube, reports on Friday morning show the flood peak in the area of Komarom, in the north-west. The Danube water recession is expected to be slow, he added.
On Thursday 614km of rivers were under defence, and now this has risen to 754km, with the most urgent level of defence readiness at 114km. Over the weekend, the task will be to maintain preparedness and “constant vigilance”, Orbán said after the meeting of the operative body for flood protection.
He called on lawmakers, volunteers and mayors to organise patrols to monitor the situation. “The hardest in times like these is to maintain vigilance when one feels the worst is behind one,” he said. While flood protection efforts have so far focused on the stretch of the Danube upstream from Budapest, work has now started in the south too, on Báta, Dunaszekcső and Baja, he said.
Read also:
Ricky Martin to help victims of historic Hungary flood with Budapest concert – read more HERE
End of danger? Train service between Budapest and Vienna restarted!
Ricky Martin is to give a free concert on Budapest’s emblematic Heroes’ Square on 21 September. Other performers will include popular Hungarian artists Viktória, Lili Regán, and T. Danny. According to Szerencsejáték Plc., the organiser of “Napi Mázli’s Superconcert”, the performers will help Hungarian victims of this September’s historic flood.
Performers, and participants helping people in trouble
According to index.hu, the national lottery company would like to raise public attention to charity and help victims of the flood. Therefore, the company decided to help communities that suffered losses. Consequently, they would offer the weekly revenue of the “Napi Mázli” game to communities in need of help.
Furthermore, they initiated a cooperation with the Hungarian Interchurch Aid as a strategic partner and will offer the on-site revenues of the ‘Superconcert” to ease the damages. They encourage all partakers and performers to participate actively in offering aid.
Image: www.facebook.com/RickyMartinOfficialPage/
Therefore, we can say that Ricky Martinwill also sing to help the flood victims this weekend.
The Ricky Martin concert to be accessible to everybody
The concert is free of charge and registration. After being held at different venues, this year’s concert returns to the iconic Heroes’ Square, allowing the public to enjoy the music in a grand setting.
Last year’s superconcert attracted around 50,000 attendees to Szoborpark, with an additional 15,000 people tuning in online. This year’s event celebrates the launch of Szerencsejáték Plc.’s new lottery game, Napi Mázli (Daily Luck), hence the event’s official name: “Napi Mázli Superconcert.”
Stage for the Ricky Martin concert under construction. Photo: FB/Szerencsejáték Zrt.
The two-times Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican singer is going to perform some of his biggest hits like “Livin’ la Vida Loca”, “She Bangs”, “Nobody Wants to Be Lonely”, “Tal Vez”, “Tu Recuerdo”, “La Mordidita”, “Vente Pa’ Ca”, and “Canción Bonita”.
As in previous years, people with disabilities will have access to a viewing platform close to the stage, with an exclusive entry point reserved for them to ensure accessibility. For the latest updates on the concert, fans can visit the official website (szuperkoncert.szerencsejatek.hu) or follow Szerencsejáték Plc. on social media.
Read also:
John Malkovich to perform at House of Music in Budapest – read more HERE
Imagine Dragons returnto Budapest with an unforgettable concert
There is a charming little zoo in Budapest with mostly birds and ungulates in a hidden part of Margaret Island. The so-called Mini Zoo of Margaret Island was opened in the 1950s, evoking the medieval state of the place: a hunting ground with rich fauna in the Middle Ages. However, the animals living there had to be evacuated due to the rising Danube water level.
The Margaret Island mini zoo is a common sight for joggers running the Margaret Island track since it is close to one of its segments. The zoo was home to deer, rabbits, storks, and waterfowl before the river began to rise. Now, it is empty since the island is one of the weakest points with the neighbourhood of Batthyány Square on the Buda side. But both have been fortified successfully, PM Orbán said during a morning briefing. Even so, the furry and feathery residents of the zoo had to abandon their homes yesterday.
Sandbags in front of the mini zoo. Photo: FB/Budapest Zoo
According to zoobudapest.hu, 110 animals were placed in safety on Wednesday, just like in 2006 and 2013. Only the deer had to be put into slumber to relocate them.
Photo: FB/Budapest Zoo
If it had not been for the sandbag protection the zoo would have been underwater in 2013. Here is a short video of the evacuation then:
Budapest Zoo does not know when the animals can return
Although the peaking of the Danube will be significantly lower this time, the zoo decided to relocate all the animals for their safety. The 110 mammals and birds received a temporary shelter in the Budapest Zoo, near the Heroes’ Square and the City Park. The action was carried out in only 3 hours by 20 people. Professionals do not know when the animals can return to Margaret Island. A lot depends on how quickly the water level decreases. Based on experts, that is going to take a week.
Photo: FB/Budapest Zoo
Budapest Zoo wrote that 14 floods were above 800 cm since the start of professional measurements in the 18th century. The highest Danube level was measured in 2013 at 891 cm. The currently anticipated peaking (851 cm) is slightly above the 2002 level (848 cm).
PM Orbán inspects defence operations in Kisoroszi in Danube Bend
PM Viktor Orbán inspected the flood defence operation at Kisoroszi in the Danube Bend, in northern Hungary, on Thursday morning, accompanied by Eszter Vitályos, the government spokeswoman and MP for the region, Orbán’s press chief said. Orbán crossed the river to reach the enclosed village by boat and spoke with local residents participating in defence, Bertalan Havasi told MTI.
There are 1,032 people in Kisoroszi which is threatened by the flood, but all of them are safe thanks to effective and successful defence operations, the prime minister said.
Orban and Vitalyos then travelled on to Pócsmegyer, a village on the Szentendre Island, and inspected flood protection. Orbán was briefed by water management officials in charge of local defence operations, said Havasi.
PM Orbán in Kisoroszi. Photo: MTI
Read also:
Budapest metro station to close, flood situation is ‘serious’ – PHOTOS and details HERE
Hungarian town cut off, free calls, mobile internet and motorway: flood news round-up, photos and video in THISarticle
The Budapest Transport Centre announced multiple changes concerning the Hungarian capital’s public transport system due to the peaking Danube. The authorities will close a busy metro station, and modify tram routes nr 1, 4, and 6. PM Viktor Orbán said at a today press briefing that the situation is “serious”, but Hungary is safe. The capital’s mayor, Gergely Karácsony, wrote in a Facebook post that they prepared Budapest for a 9-metre-high peaking.
According to Szeretlek Magyarország, BKK closed the passenger underpass on Clark Ádám Square yesterday. Such closures would continue in the next few days as the water level rises. Trams nr. 4 and 6 will commute more frequently, like trams on line 1. However, from today, tram nr 2 will carry passengers on a shorter route: it will commute only between the Kossuth Lajos Square (where the Hungarian Parliament is) and the Jászai Mari Square.
Photo: FB/Gergely Karácsony
BKKsaid they would probably close the Battyány Square metro station on Friday. Metro trains will touch the station but will not stop there. Furthermore, authorities will place sandbags at the stairs of the H5 suburban railway underpass of the Batthyány Square and Margaret Bridge stations, so people will not be able to use them. Click HEREfor additional traffic restrictions introduced because of the flood.
Photo: FB/Gergely Karácsony
Photo: FB/Gergely Karácsony
Photo: FB/Gergely Karácsony
Photo: FB/Gergely Karácsony
Mayor Karácsony warned potential ‘disaster tourists’
Gergely Karácsony, Budapest’s mayor, wrotein a Facebook post that they had prepared the city for a 9-metre-high peaking. He added that authorities finished 90% of the temporary dams and placed more than 500 thousand sandbags. Therefore, Budapest is ready for the peak.
Karácsony said they would like to protect the capital not only from the water but also from infections. Therefore, they increased the concentration of free chloride in the drinking water. It may happen that a further increase will be necessary later. Authorities began to operate a pump at the Buda side of the Chain Bridge. He also asked everybody not to get too close to the Danube. “No photo exists that is worth more than the people’s and Budapest’s safety”, he concluded.
Photo: FB/Gergely Karácsony
Photo: FB/Gergely Karácsony
Photo: FB/Gergely Karácsony
According to infostart.hu, the Danube will peak in Budapest on Saturday at 850 cm, 41 cm lower than the 2013 level. However, the flood will only leave the country a week later. Thus, the dams will be under pressure for long. The peaking of the Danube already started in Nagybajcs at 850-855 cm. In 2013, that level was 908 cm. Gabriella Siklós, a spokeswoman for the General Directorate of Water Management, saida lot depends on how swiftly the snow would melt in Austria. For example, in Pozsony, the Danube is peaking for the second time.
Despite the seriousness of the flood, Hungary is safe, with sufficient equipment and manpower assigned to protection, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told a press conference on Thursday. Defence lines have been raised to 9m on the full length of the protection area in Budapest, above the highest ever flood levels in the city, Orbán said. The weakest points, Margaret Island in the city centre and the neighbourhood of Batthyány Square on the Buda side, have also been fortified successfully, he said. Meanwhile, defence lines have been finished north of the capital in Dunabogdány and Tahitótfalu, and almost done at Leányfalu, Orbán said.
Sections of Road 2, leading north from Budapest along the Danube, will probably have to be closed on Friday, Orbán said. Kismaros, north of Budapest, was in a critical situation on Wednesday, but protection levels were on 100 percent there too, thanks to a deployment of the Armed Forces, he added. Barring unexpected events, the flood will leave Hungary with the Danube confined and kept between its barriers, Orbán said.
Stretch of areas under flood defence extended
The stretch of areas put under flood defence operations had to be extended, PM Orbán told a press conference on Thursday morning, on the seventh day of flood prevention in Hungary. The Danube is expected to recede slowly, he said, adding that no rain was in the forecast for the Austrian section of the river over the next seven days. The Danube is expected to peak on Thursday in the Dunaremete region, at Mosonmagyaróvár, in north-western Hungary, Orbán added.
Szentendre. Source: MTI
The Lajta (Leitha) river is expected to peak at Mosonmagyarovar on Thursday morning at a record water level, Orbán said. He said monitoring of the flood situation in Austria was continuous where the rivers were receding slowly. “It is important to keep an eye on slow receding because most flood damage occur during those periods,” he said. The stretch of areas put under flood defence operations has been extended by 70 kilometres, the prime minister said.
Peak flood expected to leave Hungary by mid-next week
The flood of the Danube is expected to peak in Budapest on Saturday night, and the brunt of the wave will pass Hungary by the middle of next week, PM Orbán told a press conference on Thursday. The river’s Budapest embankments could be open to traffic around the middle of next week, he said.
The number of professionals working in flood prevention in Budapest was raised to 5,828, along with 4,012 volunteers. The number of registered volunteers is 15,353,
Orbán said. “Hungary has learned flood protection during the previous floods, and professionals and volunteers know exactly what to do,” Orbán said.
Photo: DNH/Alpár Kató
Photo: DNH/Alpár Kató
Fidesz and KNDP parliamentary group meeting postponed due to the flood
The joint meeting of the parliamentary groups of the allied ruling Fidesz and Christian Democratic parties scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday has been postponed due to the flood situation, Fidesz’s group leader said. “The most important task for Hungary is to successfully defend against the floods, and government members and MPs have the obligation lend a hand,” Máté Kocsis said on Facebook on Thursday. “Everything else can wait until later,” he added.
PM Orbán: no extra flood spending was planned
Asked about EU assistance, the prime minister said that Hungary had activated the relevant mechanisms and Brussels had started to looking into possible ways to help. He said there was no time to wait for such assistance, adding that the task now was “to finish the job and earmark in advance the funds to cover flood defence expenses”. “And once the complicated procedures are concluded by Brussels and Hungary is not getting punished by not getting the help the country is due — because that is always a question in Brussels — then we will receive assistance.”
Asked about flood defence expenses, Orbán said no extra spending was planned, noting that the annual budget always contains allocations for unexpected situations. “Therefore,
there is no financial ceiling for flood defences, because the necessary resources are available for immediate payment,”
he said. Private companies employed by local authorities to help the defence efforts would also be paid through the usual channels, he said.
Asked about compensation payment for damage caused by the flood, he said its amount was to be assessed afterwards. The emergency reservoirs by the Leitha are privately owned farmlands, and the damage may include lost crops and damage to irrigation and other equipment, he said. Concerning wages in the water management sector, Orbán said those were extremely low compared with the tasks performed and pledged to regulate their wages in 2025 or 2026, over a period of 1-3 years.
Answering a question, he noted that since the great flood in 2013, the country’s flood defence system had been significantly improved with 150 billion forints (EUR 380.4m) worth of development projects completed. Calling each flood “a load test”, the prime minister said those always revealed missing components, noting that a mobile dam was most likely needed to be built at Kismaros in the Danube Bend.
Read also:
Hungarian town cut off, free calls, mobile internet and motorway: flood news round-up with VIDEO HERE
End of danger? Train service between Budapest and Vienna restarted!
Yesterday, the historic flood caused by Cyclone Boris from Austria arrived in Hungary, and the water level is rising quickly along the Danube. In Budapest, the river already deluged the lower Danube embankments, while in the Northern part of Szentendre Island, it enclosed a charming little town, Kisoroszi. The flood is threatening historic Budapest baths, Indian and Chinese Chess Olympiad participants may need to leave Margaret Island soon and a Hungarian settlement was flooded. Here are some photos of the historic Hungary flood.
A charming town on Szentendre Island is encircled by the Danube
According to Blikk, a Hungarian tabloid, the Danube cut off Kisoroszi, a small and charming Hungarian town on the Northern tip of Szentendre Island. Authorities say the settlement will remain enclosed for 6-8 days. Csaba Molnár, the town’s mayor, said they introduced extraordinary measures to protect people and local infrastructure. He said the water level might reach 890 cm, just like in 2013. He added they prepared the townsfolk for the next 6-8 days. Food supply will be undisturbed, and they have medical and firefighter services in Kisoroszi. In a worst-case scenario, patients can be transported to hospitals with motorboats.
Kisoroszi prepared for the flood, based on the local government:
Meanwhile, Indian and Chinese participants of the Chess Olympiad may need to leave their Margaret Island hotels due to the rising water level in Budapest. According to Blikk, the two teams and the Hungarian women’s team may have to leave the Hotel Thermal and the Grand Hotel on the island. Authorities are prepared for the evacuation if necessary.
Kisoroszi. Source: MTI
Kisoroszi. Source: MTI
Szentendre. Source: MTI
Fast-food restaurant closed due to the flood
In Vác, a McDonald’s unit had to close due to the flood. The place is already protected with sandbags, but it will not operate for an uncertain period. River Danube regularly floods the local Diadal Square and Budapesti Street in case of high water levels.
According to portfolio.hu, the Danube conquered the small settlement of Vének, close to Győr. The number of locals is around 200, who could leave it in time.
Here is a video:
Free calls, internet and motorway use
To help protection efforts, Magyar Telekom announced that they would provide 100 minutes or 15 GB of mobile internet for free to their users between 18 and 30 September. You may activate them by sending +SOS100PERC or +SOS15GB to 1414, and you may use the pack in the EU, including Hungary. Yettel is giving unlimited internet for its customers for five days if you send ARVIZ to 1744. You may activate it until 24 September, but the use is limited to Hungary.
Nagymaros. Source: MTI
Visegrád. Source: MTI
Béla Juhász, the mayor of Sződliget, a town north of Budapest, announced that drivers can use motorway M2 freely because of the closure of main road nr 2.
Danube flood threatens several historic Budapest baths
The flood approaching Budapest along the Danube will affect several baths and spas, necessitating protection measures, Budapest Gyógyfürdői es Hévizei (BGYH), the company that operates the baths, said on Wednesday.
With Margaret Island threatened with inundation, the popular Palatinus bath on the island is now closed to the public, the company said. Staff there have begun implementing protection measures, including 24-hour monitoring of the 10-hectare site and measures to protect the 100-year-old wave pool, MTI wrote.
High water levels are also endangering the Gellárt, Rudas, Rác, Király and Lukács thermal baths, as well as the Pünkösdfürdő pool, BGYH said. Water pumps, mobile power generators and sandbags have been provided to help protect each site, it said.
Leitha reservoir opened with benefits clear to see
The authorities opened the River Leitha reservoir system at dawn, and its effect on the flood peak in the river section above Mosonmagyaróvár, near the Austrian border, is clear to see, the National Water Directorate (OVF) said on Wednesday.
Water has been released in a controlled manner, safely and with the right timing to the designated areas, according to the OVF statement. While the Danube flood wave is currently peaking in the area of Devin (Dévény) in Slovakia, the water level is expected to rise at the Danube bend for two more days, and construction of temporary defences is still underway there.
The river swelled to the lower banks in Budapest at 10 PM on Tuesday, and the peak here is expected at the end of the week. The directorate and its partner organisations, as well as volunteers, are continually building temporary protection systems along embankments and levees to prevent flooding in populated areas, the statement said, adding that dams were under huge pressure, with prolonged peaks expected in the days ahead. For this reason, the public is asked not to go to the dams to look at or take photos, the statement said.
MVM takes flood defence steps
MVM Group has started safety measures, in coordination with national and local authorities, at its gas and electricity networks affected by flooding, the state-owned energy company said on Wednesday. Gas and electricity could be shut off in some settlements along the Danube, MVM said. MVM will keep its customers informed of changes on their website HERE.
UPDATE: Government weighs impact of flooding on SMEs
The government could provide support to small businesses hit by flooding, Richárd Szabados, the National Economy Ministry’s state secretary for SMEs, said on Wednesday.
Flood defence is the immediate priority, but the impact of the flooding on SMEs is being gauged, Szabados said, consulting on flood defence efforts in Esztergom, in the north of the country.
He said business organisations had been urged at a meeting of the Business Development Council on Tuesday to conduct a rapid assessment of damages caused by the flooding to SMEs, including closures, inventory delivery stoppages and staff shortages. On the basis of feedback, the National Economy Ministry could recommend support for those SMEs to the government, if necessary, he added.
Read also:
Extreme flood reached Hungary: Danube bridge, border crossing closed, ferry service halted, train service changed – read more HERE
End of danger? Train service between Budapest and Vienna restarted – details in THISarticle
Featured image: Vének near Győr underwater. Source: MTI
The M1 news channel has offered a new date for the debate between Balázs Orbán, the prime minister’s political director and Péter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza party. Tisza Party received almost 30% on the 9 June European parliamentary elections and their support continues to grow, so we can say that they are currently the challenger of PM Orbán’s Fidesz. Based on recent polls, they stand at 39%, only a couple of percent behind Orbán’s Fidesz party.
MTVA is suggesting to hold the live debate on October 3, at 8.35pm, MTVA said on Tuesday. The debate was scheduled for September 19, but Magyar rejected the date saying he would participate only after the flood had subsided.
The Tisza Party – in a reaction concerning the new debate date – told Telexthat Magyar would participate in a debate only with PM Orbán since he has nothing to discuss with Balázs Orbán, who does not hold a significant position in the government or the Fidesz party.
Meanwhile, Magyarslammed the government in a post stating that they were unable to deploythousands of soldiers to take part in the flood protection efforts. Instead, the number of military personnel helping with protection struggles is only 1,600. He suggested that without the help of civil volunteers, the Hungarian government could not protect Hungary from the flood.
Magyar: Volunteers key to success of flood defence
Without the hard work of tens of thousands of volunteers, flood defences “wouldn’t work anywhere”, the opposition Tisza Party leader said in a statement on Wednesday. Péter Magyar wrote that 12,000 volunteer reservists had been working on the dams since Sunday, while the government had only managed to deploy 1,600 soldiers by Wednesday over five days.
“While children are also (rightly) filling sandbags, the army is holding military exercises in Bakony,” he said. Magyar hailed national unity and the work of civilians as “something to be applauded”. “But in a normally functioning government, the work of civilians wouldn’t be complemented by professional staff, but the other way around,” he added.
Here’s the defence minister’s reply
Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, the defence minister, rejected Magyar’s comments about the number of soldiers working on the dams, saying the Hungarian Armed Forces was “not a joke” or something to be “insulted”. “Who is anyone to insult the capabilities of the Hungarian Armed Forces and specifically the soldiers?” the minister said in a video posted on Facebook. He said the deployment of the military was not about “rushing and running to whatever place comes to mind just because the cameras are there”, adding that the defence work was a carefully planned manoeuvre. Szalay-Bobrovniczky said the troops were deployed where they were needed, which was determined by the water management authority.
Read also:
Extreme flood reached Hungary: Danube bridge, border crossing closed, ferry service halted, train service changed – read more HERE
Train services between the Hungarian and Austrian capitals restarted this morning. However, even the Austrian railway company, ÖBB, does not recommend choosing the railway because of the uncertainties caused by the historic flood hitting Hungary and Austria.
Budapest-Vienna train services resumed
According to turizmus.com, the train connection between Budapest and Vienna has been reestablished. The first trains departed Budapest this morning. However, passengers cannot yet continue their journey to Linz from the Austrian capital.
Because of the turns, some trains will only commute to Hegyeshalom until the afternoon. You may continue your journey from the Hungarian border town with EuRegio trains or the next distance train.
Trains depart to Vienna from Budapest-Keleti Railway Station. Photo: FB/MÁV
The first train carrying passengers from Budapest to Vienna was the 7:40 AM Railjet Express. However, people travelling with the 6:40 AM train can also reach Vienna provided they change trains in Hegyeshalom.
Based on current information, destinations beyond Vienna, e.g. Salzburg, are not yet available due to the flood. In Austria, you should still expect cancellations and considerable delays, so even the Austrian railway service provider ÖBBdoes not recommend travelling by train these days.
A railway line in Austria now. Photo: FB/ÖBB
The company halted train service between Vienna and Hegyeshalom due to the heavy rains on Sunday evening.
In Hungary, the weather is fine, but the flood is already in the Western regions and approaching Budapest, where the lower Danube embankments are already under water.
Based on the experts’ estimates, the peaking of the Danube will be 40 centimetres below the 2013 record in Budapest. Gabriella Siklós, a spokesperson of the General Directorate of Water Management, toldKossuth Rádió that the peaking will be at 850 centimetres in the Hungarian capital. She added that the flood lacks water support because of the dry weather. However, the melting snow in Austria may slow the pace of water level decrease. People wanting to help protection efforts should write to local governments organising the work.
Photo: FB/MÁV
She said that, in Budapest, the water level reached 683 centimetres this morning. In the Szigetköz region of Northwestern Hungary, the peaking of the Danube will be on Thursday. In Budapest, the peaking will be on Saturday. In 2013, the peak level was 891 centimetres. Now, the Danube will probably stop at 850 cm.
Click HEREto read the latest news about the flood in Hungary.
Read also:
Floods disrupt Hungarian transport: All the latest bus and train timetable changes you need to know in THISarticle
The hardest phase of flood protection underway, says Orbán
Despite the ongoing flood situation, train services on the MÁV and Volánbusz networks remain operational, with one key exception: the Esztergom–Komárom line. Due to the flooding, buses are currently replacing trains on this section until the waters recede and necessary repairs are completed, according to the official announcement.
Bus routes affected
Bus routes have been more significantly affected by the flooding, particularly due to the closure of the stretch of Route 11 between Tát and Esztergom. Many bus services are being rerouted, and passengers should expect additional disruptions across the region. Further changes will be implemented from Wednesday. The company is providing continuous updates on these adjustments through its information channels, Pénzcentrum writes.
The tunnel between Margaret Bridge (Margitsziget) and Batthyány Square on the H5 suburban railway line will also close from Wednesday due to the rising Danube. Passengers are advised not to rely on their usual routes and to check the latest updates from MÁVINFORM, Volánbusz, and MÁV-HÉV before travelling.
MÁV committed to maintaining public transport services
The MÁV-Volán group has outlined three main priorities during the flood response: maintaining public transportation services, protecting transport infrastructure from the floodwaters, and keeping passengers informed about both domestic and international travel conditions as well as expected changes.
At present, the Esztergom–Komárom railway is the only line directly impacted by the flood defence efforts, as part of the track serves as a flood barrier. Starting Monday, buses have replaced S74 trains on this line. These replacement buses will run until the water recedes and, if any damage occurs to the tracks, until repairs are completed. Due to road configurations, the buses may stop at alternative Volánbusz stops instead of railway stations. Additionally, the closure of Route 10 between Neszmély and Süttő from Wednesday will prompt further changes, with buses only running between Süttő and Esztergom.
To protect the railway infrastructure on the Esztergom–Komárom line, flood defence efforts include raising the railway embankment at Tát by placing stones on the tracks to match the height of the flood levee. Three railway bridges have also been weighed down with stone-filled wagons to prevent the rising floodwaters from lifting them. Since Monday, the railway between Lábatlan and Nyergesújfalu has been reinforced with foil and around 1,600 sandbags over a 1.5 km stretch to prevent erosion. Hundreds of MÁV employees are actively involved in the ongoing flood defence operations.
Győr’s Rába bridge, HÉV tunnel
The temporary surface terminus of the Szentendre (H5) HÉV near the Buda end of the Margaret Bridge on 18 September 2024. The tunnel section of the H5 HÉV is closed due to flooding. Photo: MTI/Máthé Zoltán
In the coming days, additional technical interventions will be required to protect the railway infrastructure at other locations. Preparations are underway to weigh down the Rába railway bridge in Győr with stone-filled wagons, preventing the floodwaters from displacing it. According to current information, even if this is necessary, train traffic between Győr and Öttevény will still be able to continue on one track. If the water levels rise higher than expected, MÁVINFORM will issue updates on further railway restrictions on Wednesday.
As part of the flood defence efforts, starting Wednesday afternoon, the tunnel of the H5 suburban railway between Margit Bridge and Batthyány Square will be closed and reinforced with sandbags to prevent it from floating due to the floodwaters. As a result, from 18 September, the H5 line will only operate to Margaret Bridge (Buda side). It will no longer serve Batthyány Square or the underground station at Margaret Bridge. Passengers heading toward Békásmegyer or Szentendre will need to board the trains at the surface platform near the HÉV tunnel exit, located next to the 960 bus stop heading toward Békásmegyer. The HÉV will also run less frequently due to these changes.
Changes in Győr-Moson-Sopron and Komárom-Esztergom counties
Drone image of the flooded Moson-Danube in Győr on 17 September 2024. Photo: MTI/Krizsán Csaba
The flooding of the country’s rivers has led to several changes in the timetables and routes of Volánbusz services, with more changes expected. The flood-related road closures and traffic restrictions have forced some buses to operate on detoured or shortened routes. In the coming days, traffic restrictions will affect settlements along the Danube in Győr-Moson-Sopron and Komárom-Esztergom counties, as well as the Danube Bend region.
Currently, bus routes along the Móricz Zsigmond embankment in Győr are being diverted, and the closure of Route 11 between Tát and Esztergom has resulted in further detours. Neither the Pócsmegyer nor Szigetmonostor ferries are in operation, with buses now providing alternative connections. From Wednesday morning, additional closures are in place in the Danube Bend, particularly between Süttő and Neszmély, and bus services will be suspended in Dömös and Pilismarót. From early Wednesday, buses 803 and 804 operate in split sections: Neszmély–Tata–Tatabánya, Neszmély–Komárom, and Süttő–Esztergom.
Read the latest news about floods in Hungary HERE.
The hardest phase of flood protection, expected to last until next Thursday, is under way, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told a press conference in Budapest.
The peak of the flood wave entered Hungary on Tuesday night, he said early on Wednesday, adding that the water authorities, disaster management, army, the interior ministry and volunteers will be working to protect areas affected by the flood wave from western parts of the country right until it passes from Hungary into Serbia.
“This period is the hardest part … it will last for about a week or eight days from today,” he said, adding that the peak of the flood wave at southern border was expected to flow beyond Hungarian territory next Thursday.
The flood wave on the Danube has reached Deveny, and the river is expected to peak at Budapest on Saturday afternoon-evening at 40-50cm lower than the 846cm historic high level, Orbánsaid.
The Leitha river is expected to peak at Mosonmagyarovar near the Austrian border on Thursday, at a record level, he said.
“We will do it!” – Orbán said in today’s press conference:
Flood defence operations on the Danube, Lajta (Leitha), Raba and Marcal rivers are under way along 544 kilometres, Orbán noted, adding that preparedness in areas under state protection was “at one hundred percent”.
Fully 4,392 people dispatched by the water and disaster management authorities, the police and prison services are participating currently in flood defences, Orbán said, noting that “the most difficult spots at the moment are Pilismarot, certain sections of highway 11 [in the north-west of the country] and Margaret Island and the Batthyany Square metro station in Budapest”. As certain sections of highway 11 cannot be protected, the operative body in charge of flood protection has decided to open detours, he added.
Water management experts are working to divert flood water leaking on to Margaret Island and the Batthyány Square metro station, Orbán said, adding that hopefully the latter would prevent the closure of the metro station.
PM Orbán, Interior Minister Sándor Pintér, and Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony today morning on a status report in the Interior Ministry. Photo: FB/Orbán
Flood defence work is ongoing at 12 primary state-managed spots on the Danube and Leitha’s sections at Mosonmagyarovar, with 39,335 sandbags placed already. Operations along defence lines managed by municipalities are under way at 31 primary spots, where most of the 1,421,500 sandbags prepared have been used, the prime minister said.
Orbán praises post-2013 decision to strengthen flood protection system
The government’s decision to implement flood protection developments and investments worth 435 billion forints (EUR 1.04bn) after the 2013 floods has resulted in “serious and important” gains, Orbán said on Wednesday, adding that additional protections in various locations were no longer necessary as the flood permanent defences were working well.
Orbán noted at a press briefing that developments worth 150 billion forints were carried out along the Danube, and now at several locations such as around Komarom, in western Hungary, volunteers were no longer needed to build temporary dams using sandbags.
Also, the decision to create a Danube diversion at Moson, inaugurated in 2022, had been a good one, he said. Here, floodwater is diverted away from the Danube branch in Moson, thereby protecting the city of Győr.
The prime minister said that once the current flood receded, it would be important to quickly strengthen flood protection systems around Esztergom. Also, as part of a 40 billion forint scheme, flood defences around the Szigetköz tributary are to be built, he noted.
Read also:
Extreme flood reached Hungary: Danube bridge, border crossing closed, ferry service halted, train service changed – read more HERE
Hungary flood crisis: 540 km defence effort mobilised amid near-record water levels – news roundup HERE
Flood warnings continue, with record near-record water levels in several places in Hungary:
Flood defence capabilities are a lot more developed than in 2013
Although Hungary is facing the biggest flood since the one in 2013 it has a lot more developed flood defence capabilities than eleven years ago, the parliamentary state secretary of the interior ministry told a press briefing on the flood situation on Tuesday.
The peak water levels are expected to exceed last week’s levels by 6-6.5 metres in the Szigetkoz, the Danube Bend and Budapest, Bence Rétvári said. Rivers will carry 400 percent more water at their peak this week, he said.
Since 2013, the country’s flood defence system has been significantly improved with 150 billion forints (EUR 380.4m) worth of development projects completed, he said. Those included the upgrade of dikes, the construction of facilities helping flood defence, building rainwater storages and a clean-up of riverbeds, Rétvári added.
He noted that defence operations were ongoing along a 390km river section and at 35 settlements coordinated by local mayors and supported by the disaster management and water management authorities. Police have dispatched officers to nine sites who arrange road closures and are also filling sandbags, Retvari added. He said schools, health-care and social institutions operate uninterrupted. “State leaders participating in flood defence have postponed all of their international obligations for as long as the situation is difficult at the dams,” Retvari said.
István Láng, the head of Hungary’s Water Management Directorate, said the Danube is forecast to peak at a level 30-50cm below the level of the 2013 flood. All of the affected municipalities have arranged for the setting up of dikes which are nearly half-way ready, he said, adding that they will be fully completed by the time the rivers peak.
The directorate has assigned an additional staff of 298 to be on duty along the 1,500km state-managed defence line, arranged for the delivery of 2 million sandbags and the distribution of more than 1 million sandbags to local governments, Lang said.
Leitha
He said the Leitha river is expected to peak at Mosonmagyaróvár on Wednesday night.
Danube
Láng added that the Danube is expected to peak at Szigetköz on Thursday morning, at Győr in the evening that day, at Komárom on Friday morning, and in Esztergom on Friday afternoon. On Saturday, the river is expected to peak at Nyergesfalu in the early morning, at Vác later on, and in Budapest on Saturday evening.
As we wrote earlier, Cyclone Boris not only brought heavy rain, but also high winds and reached the ‘Hungarian sea’, details HERE.
Flood defence operation under way along 540 km
Flood defence operations are under way along 540 kilometres on Hungary’s rivers with the highest, third-degree alert in place along 200 kilometres, the prime minister said on Tuesday.
Viktor Orbán said in a video posted on Facebook that based on reports received in the morning the most serious situation had developed along the Leitha river.
“This necessitated a dispach of a staff of more than 800 experts from Hungary’s central regions to the west where those people are working in cooperation with Hungarian troops and are doing an excellent job,” Orbán said.
Photo: MTI
He said that currently there are 400 Hungarian soldiers working at the dams, adding that several thousand more troops stood ready to be deployed in 24 hours, if need be. “But for the time being we are able to tackle the situation with the manpower mobilised and with the help of enthusiastic volunteers,” the prime minister said.
PM approves opening of emergency reservoir along Leitha
PM Orbán on Tuesday inspected the flood defence work along the Leitha river where he and MP István Nagy were briefed on the protection efforts in the region by water and disaster management experts.
The prime minister gave his approval for opening the emergency reservoir between the Leitha’s main embankment and the left-bank channel. The opening of the emergency reservoir ensures that the water will not break through the primary defence lines and guarantees the safety of Mosonmagyaróvár and its residents, the statement said.
Later on Tuesday, Orbán visited the flood prevention works in Neszmély and Komárom, in north-western Hungary. He and Judit Bertalan Czunyi, the region’s MP, visited those building the defences on the Danube bank, Havasi said.
Budapest Fidesz calls for free public transport in Budapest during floods
Alexandra Szentkirályi, the leader of ruling Fidesz’s Budapest chapter, has called on the mayor of Budapest to ensure free use of the city’s public transport services during the closure of the embankments of the Danube due to the flood.
She said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that traffic in Budapest has slowed down due to flood protection measures.
“We ask Mayor Gergely Karácsony to arrange for allowing the public to use services operated by Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) free of charge and promote the use of public transportation means by car owners.”
Szentkirályi did not say whether the government would compensate for lost revenue during the period when public transport would be free in Budapest.
UPDATE: Budapest mayor says they are prepared for peak flood levels
Budapest is prepared to handle the Danube’s peak flood levels, Gergely Karácsony, the city’s mayor, has said, adding that all flood defence work will be completed by noon on Thursday.
The most intense flood defence work is being carried out along Nánási-Királyok Road in the third district, Margaret Island and the area around the Dagály baths at the northern Pest embankment, Karácsony said in a post on Facebook.
On Nanasi-Kiralyok Road, a clay levee is being built along several kilometres, the mayor said. On Margaret Island, 800,000 sandbags are being filled, he said, noting that the island has been closed to traffic from Margaret Bridge and will likely also be closed from the direction of Arpad Bridge. Meanwhile, a mobile dam will be built near the Dagaly baths, he added.
The bridges leading to Hajogyari Island will be closed and power to the island will be cut, Karácsony said.
The floods are also expected to cause delays in public transport, with the tram lines along the Danube being the main ones to be affected, he added.
Karácsony thanked those contributing to the flood protection efforts.
Hungary, as the president of the Council of the European Union, on Monday activated the EU’s integrated political crisis response (IPCR) mechanism, the minister in charge of EU affairs said.
János Bóka said on Facebook that the mechanism enabled central European member states severely affected by the extreme weather conditions and flooding to coordinate protection tasks.
He added that the affected member states could also decide how the EU can most effectively help them carry out their tasks.
The activation of the mechanism was needed because unprecedented severe weather conditions have resulted in extreme floods in several states including Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, Bóka said. Several of these countries have announced a state of emergency, he added.
A coordination centre will meet on Tuesday morning and its work will enable experts to monitor the flood situation and specify the support needed, and generally coordinate with EU institutions, Bóka said.
The Hungarian presidency is ready to activate the EU Civil Protection Mechanism if the member states express a need for it, he said.
As we wrote earlier, Orbán postpones all international trips, near-record flooding is expected, and a levee with 1,000 tonnes of rocks; details and photos are here.
Due to the rapid rise in the water level of the Danube, Mayor Gergely Karácsony has ordered a third-level flood protection alert on all flood protection sections of Budapest.As a consequence of the flooding, from Tuesday 17 September onwards, traffic on tram line 2 at Pesti quay will be restricted.If further measures are necessary, BKK will inform the capital’s residents soon.
For motorists, traffic order changes
The lower quays of Pest and Buda will also be closed from 8pm on Monday evening. Mayor Gergely Karácsony asked that cars parked there should be taken away by the afternoon at the latest, because from the evening the Municipal Police Directorate will remove the vehicles left there from the lower embankment. The Danube is forecast to reach the lower embankment on Tuesday morning.
From Tuesday morning, only vehicles that are involved in the protection operation will be allowed to enter Margaret Island. For the time being, pedestrian traffic is also restricted on the southern part of the island.
As we wrote today, Budapest’s highest-level flood alert is in effect; read details HERE.
Tram line 2, also used by tourists
Due to the high water level of the Danube, trams No. 2, 2B and 23 will operate on two sections from Tuesday, 17 September 2024: between Jászai Mari tér and Széchenyi István tér, and between Március 15. tér and their southern terminals.
Budapest, Tram line 2. Source: BKK
There is no tram service on the section between Széchenyi István tér and Március 15. tér. During the restriction of the tram 2, BKK recommends using other lines in the city centre, in particular the metro, trams 47 and 49, trams 4 and 6, trolleybus 72, bus 9 and bus 15.
BKK reminds passengers that real-time route planning for the limited section of tram 2 in BudapestGO is expected to be available only from Wednesday morning, 18 September.
Bus 34
Óbuda lines are also affected by the flooding: from Monday morning, 16 September, the route of bus 34 has been changed, with stops between Békásmegyer H and Rómaifürdő H not affected. The same applies to the 934 night service, which does not stop between Békásmegyer H and Római útti Wohnótelep, Varsa utca.
Further traffic restrictions
If the Danube’s water level continues to rise, further traffic restrictions may be expected. BKK will inform passengers about any changes as soon as possible on the BKK Info website and other official websites.
In the last few hours, there have been several events related to the flooding, summarised here:
Orbán postpones all international obligations
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Monday that he has postponed all of his international obligations due to the extreme weather conditions and the ongoing floods in Hungary.
He posted the announcement on the X social media platform.
Orbán had canceled his speech at the European Parliament, a visit to Vatican City later this week, and will not attend the UN General Assembly in New York. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó will represent Hungary at the latter, he added.
Magyar: PM made the right decision to postpone the Strasbourg trip
“Accepting our recommendation, Viktor Orbán canceled his participation in the European Parliament debate in Strasbourg,” Magyar said in a statement.
“This is the right decision,” he said. “There is no place for political debates in such a serious flood situation, as it calls for total national unity.”
Near-record flood levels
Istvan Lang, the head of Hungary’s Directorate of Water Management, said the recent heavy rainfall has resulted in flood waves in the catchment areas of the Danube and Leitha rivers.
Lang said the flooding of the Leitha is expected to approach or exceed the record water levels. He added that an emergency reservoir will likely have to be opened above the northwestern town of Mosonmagyarovar. The river’s water will be released onto a 140-hectare agricultural area to ease the burden on the town.
Pilismarót, Hungary. Photo: MTI
Pilismarót, Hungary. Photo: MTI
Pilismarót, Hungary. Photo: MTI
Concerning the Danube, he said that water levels at the Szigetkoz island plain in the northwest are expected to reach near-record highs but won’t affect the populated areas. He said the Danube is expected to peak on Thursday and Friday at the Szigetkoz area at Nagybacs near Komarom-Esztergom in the north and Budapest on Saturday and Sunday.
He said the peak water level is expected to be 30-40cm below the 2013 level.
Margaret Island, Budapest. Photo: MTI
Zoltan Gora, who heads the National Disaster Management Directorate, said the operative bodies overseeing the protection efforts were now all up and running.
Levee north of Budapest to be reinforced with 1,000 tonnes of rocks
The government spokeswoman said that the levee along the Danube riverbank at Szigetmonostor, north of Budapest, will be reinforced with 1,000 tonnes of rocks.
According to the latest forecasts, the Danube will peak at Budapest at 860cm, Eszter Vitályos said on Facebook after a meeting of the Pest County defence committee, noting that the river had peaked at 891cm in the 2013 flood.
The spokeswoman said that one of the critical points in the county’s number 3 electoral district, which Vitályos represents, is the levee at the God ferry crossing at Szigetmonostor, which will be reinforced with 1,000 tonnes of rocks. She asked the disaster management authority to intervene on the lower sections of highway 11.
Caritas Hungary, the aid organisation of the Catholic Church, said in a statement on Monday that it is setting aside 10 million forints (EUR ) in emergency aid for the procurement of essential flood protection equipment, mitigating flood damage and supporting those in need.
The organisation is setting up a disaster base at the local parish in Nagybajcs, in north-western Hungary to coordinate the aid efforts.
It also invites donations at www.karitasz.hu and via the donor line 1356.
Hungarian Reformed Church Aid
The Hungarian Reformed Church Aid said in a statement that 30 people are assisting the flood defence work at Dunaalmás and calling on volunteers for the coming days. They will also help out in the village of Tahi, north of Budapest, from Tuesday and in the capital, if necessary. The organisation said it is launching a donation drive on donor line 1358.
Hungarian Baptist Aid
The Hungarian Baptist Aid and the HUBA Rescue24 organisation of firemen and rescue teams have also started flood defence work. The aid organisation is recruiting volunteers and organising donation drives at www.baptistasegely.hu and the donor line 1355.
Preparations for flood protection have reached “one hundred percent” across the entirety of Hungary, the interior minister said on Monday.
Sándor Pintér told a press conference that measures implemented so far will ensure that the water of the Danube river can be confined and kept between its barriers.
He said that for other rivers,
the measures may include temporarily opening reservoirs to protect residents, their property, and their land from flood water.
Protection operations are carried out with the participation of water management authorities, the armed forces, police, prison management and the national disaster management chief directorate, Pintér said, adding that municipalities and the ambulance services were also on alert.
Meanwhile, the prime minister has convened the operative body for flood protection, the minister said, adding that its work was coordinated by the national disaster management authority backed by national water management authority providing expertise.
The Hungarian army is also participating in flood protection with 12,000 people, equipment including helicopters and convicts who volunteer, he said.
Source: hmzrinyi.hu
Pintér asked municipalities to set up flood defence committees, adding that sandbags, vehicles and other equipment would be provided by the central operative body.
The flood situation will be evaluated early in the morning on the basis of overnight data every day and steps will be taken accordingly, he said.
As we wrote today, a third-degree, highest-level flood alert is in effect along all sections of the Danube in Budapest from Monday, details HERE.
Government supporting local councils in flood defence
The parliamentary state secretary of the interior ministry said on Monday that the state is providing local councils with professional, logistical, material, and financial assistance in their flood protection efforts.
The state is providing multiple forms of assistance to every locality defending against the flood, Bence Rétvári told a press conference. Each locality has been assigned an expert from the water management authority with extensive knowledge on flood protection who will help organise the defence work, he said.
He added that each locality has a liaison officer from the disaster management authority to ensure the supply of necessary materials, such as sandbags.
The state secretary said the force majeure fund will cover the localities’ flood protection costs.
A third-degree, highest-level flood alert is in effect along all sections of the Danube in Budapest from Monday, Gergely Karácsony, the city’s mayor, has said.
Water management experts conducted a range of protective measures over the weekend which included closing off vents and sluice gates, preparing water production facilities for safe flood operations and putting moorings in place, he said on Facebook.
The mayor noted that the embankments on both sides of the Danube will be closed to traffic from 8 pm on Monday, and the owners of the cars parked there have been asked to move their vehicles.
According to forecasts, the Danube will reach the lower embankment on Tuesday morning, he said.
Meanwhile, the Budapest water works, the disaster management authority, and subcontractors assisting the defence work will make one million sand bags available, approximately 800,000 of which will be used on Margaret Island.
He added that to ensure the smooth operation of protection efforts, the island’s protected zone will be closed to vehicle traffic and pedestrian traffic will also be restricted from 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
Traffic restrictions will also apply on Nanasi and Kiralyok Road in northern Buda because of the delivery of the materials needed for the four-kilometer clay dyke being built there, the mayor said.
As we wrote yesterday, a flood alert disrupted international train services, and trains between Budapest and Vienna were canceled. Read details HERE.
As we wrote earlier, a Major flood protection alert was declared in Budapest amid rising Danube levels, and roads were closed. Read details HERE.
PM Orbán convenes operative body for flood protection
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán convened a meeting of the operative body responsible for flood protection early on Monday morning.
PM Orbán convenes operative body for flood protection. Photo: MTI
The head of each state body involved in flood protection operations briefed the operative body. They then determined the most urgent tasks and approved the flood protection plans for the coming days.
Orbán affirmed that all the technical and financial resources needed for the protection efforts are in place.
Read also:
Budapest braces for flood surge as severe storms hit the region – PHOTOS
UPDATE
Orbán briefs President Sulyok about the flood
PM Orbán met President Tamás Sulyok in the morning to brief him about the current status of flood defence operations.
Orban briefs president Sulyok about flood. Photo: MTIOrban and Sulyok agreed to stay in constant contact in the most critical days of the defence work. They also agreed that the prime minister would provide the president with regular updates on the work completed by state organisations and emergency measures required.
A major flood protection alert has been declared in Budapest. According to the latest forecasts, the Danube’s water level is expected to rise by one meter each day starting Monday. Projections indicate that the river could peak in the latter half of next week, with water levels exceeding 8 meters. Given this significant rise, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony has announced a third-degree flood protection alert for all Budapest sections of the river, starting at midnight on Monday, 16 September, as stated by the Mayor’s Office.
According to an article by Portfolio, the Municipal Sewage Works (Fővárosi Csatornázási Művek, FCSM), responsible for flood defences, will begin closing the flood gates along the Nánási-Királyok Road defence line and constructing a four-kilometre-long clay embankment starting Monday.
The Danube in Budapest in June 2024. Photo: MTI/Hegedüs Róbert
Due to this temporary barrier, Királyok Road will be closed to traffic.
On Margaret Island, especially in its lower-lying areas, flood defences will be reinforced with sandbags. FCSM will use high-capacity machinery for this, drawing on experience from the 2013 flood defence efforts.
If the situation worsens, Margaret Island may also be closed to both vehicle and pedestrian traffic by mid-next week.
The lower embankments on the Pest side are expected to flood by Tuesday, September 17. Some sections, already closed for an event over the weekend, will remain shut until the floodwaters recede. Additionally, Budapest Road Management (Budapest Közút) will fully close the remaining Pest embankments and all of the Buda lower embankments from 8 PM on Monday, 16 September.
Parking on the embankments has already been banned as of midnight today. Any vehicles left there will be towed away by the city’s Law Enforcement Directorate (Fővárosi Önkormányzati Rendészeti Igazgatóság) on Monday.
Meanwhile, Budapest Waterworks (Fővárosi Vízművek) is taking necessary precautions to ensure that the rising Danube does not disrupt the city’s drinking water supply. They have begun intensified inspections of wells, pump houses, and machinery to ensure continued safe operation despite the rising water levels, Portfolio reports. The quality of drinking water is being continuously monitored by the company’s laboratories.
Public transport in areas close to the river will likely face restrictions by mid-next week, depending on how the situation develops. Experts will determine the specific extent of these disruptions early next week, according to the Mayor’s Office.
