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PHOTOS: this winter’s first snowfall in Hungary – UPDATED

Snow Budapest Hungary

As we said earlier, meteorologists expected the first snow to arrive in Hungary this weekend, and it seems they were right. You can check out some recently taken photos about the wintery weather below.

Időkép, a Hungarian weather forecast website, said that their team arrived in Bánkút in the Bükk mountain yesterday after 7 PM. The village is located 850 metres high, and locals experienced the first snowfall this winter there on Friday evening. What fell from the sky was not entirely snow but a mixture of frozen rain and snow. However, the thin layer of it proved to be fitting to write the name of the Hungarian website in it:

 
 
 
 
 
A bejegyzés megtekintése az Instagramon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Időkép (@idokep) által megosztott bejegyzés

You may check out some more photos about the first snowfall this winter in Hungary in their article, HERE.

The Hungarian Meteorological Service (OMSZ) said that the weekend would be cloudy over Hungary, and we should expect a lot of precipitation. In the Western areas of the country, especially in the Alpokalja region (in English, “the feet of the Alps”), snowflakes will appear, the OMSZ added. The temperature will not rise above 10 °C. Furthermore, in the early morning hours, it will be below zero.

OMSZ said Hungary’s weather was shaped by a Mediterranean cyclone. It brings a lot of precipitation and moves to North-Northeast. Therefore, tomorrow, the sky will be cloudy though the sun may come out for short periods. If the cyclone, full with precipitation, meets the cold air ruling Northeast Hungary, it will result in a stronger snowfall. However, they added the reliability of such forecasts were just medium. Anyway, OMSZ said if there were snow today, it would fall in the Miskolc, Nyíregyháza region and the Northeast mountains.

UPDATE

According to Szeretlek Magyarország, a fairy tale welcomed the visitors of the peaks of Zemplén and Bükk today morning. The snow layer was 3-5 centimetres thick on average. HERE you may check out some photos sent from the Kékestető, Hungary’s highest peak (1014m).

Budapest Buda Castle Palace winter snow
Read alsoHere is the snowfall expected in Hungary from Friday

 

Here is the snowfall expected in Hungary from Friday

Budapest Buda Castle Palace winter snow

Would you like to see with your own eyes the first snowfall in Hungary this winter? We tell you where you should go on Friday to do so. Do not miss this fabulous experience!

As we wrote last weekend, an anticyclone was shaping the weather in Central Europe and the Carpathian Basin. The cold weather approached Hungary from the northeast, bringing fog and showers. But it may cause snowfall in the mountainous northern areas.

Mediterranean cyclones will influence the weather for the next few days. As a result, a lot of rain is expected today. On Friday, another Mediterranean cyclone will arrive in Hungary, making the day rainy again. By then, cold air will rule Northeast Hungary from the East European Plain. That will overlap with the precipitation resulting in the first great snowfall in north and northeast Hungary.

Budapest winter
Read alsoWinter is coming: here is when snow arrives to Hungary

According to idokep.hu, snow will presumably remain only in the mountains of North Hungary. But it is not excluded that snow will cover the ground even in some lowland areas of the Hungarian Great Plains. However, in the Bükk, Mátra or the Zemplén Mountains, it may happen that the snow level will reach even a couple of centimetres this weekend.

The temperature will peak in the north and northeast regions between 0 °C and 4 °C. In other areas, it will be slightly warmer, between 5 and 11 °C. Idokep.hu promised they would publish new weather models and calculations as soon as they received new data.

Lillafüred_Hunguest Hotel Palota_winter
Read alsoThis winter will be unusually cold in Hungary

Winter is coming: here is when snow arrives to Hungary

Budapest winter

Based on the latest weather forecast, the chance of the arrival of an extended anticyclone bringing extreme cold has increased significantly. According to the forecasts, it will get into Hungary from the Northeast and reach the country in the middle of next week. It may also bring snow.

On Thursday, a moderate cold front will sweep through Hungary, but will not cause considerable weather change, kiderul.hu reported. However, the clouds disappear thanks to it, and after several days we could experience how refreshing the autumn sunshine can be, kiderul.hu wrote.

However, due to the lack of cloud cover, nights will cool down significantly in the following days. As a result, frosts will appear in multiple places in Hungary during the mornings. That is, of course, not something unexpected in November at this latitude. Meanwhile, in Western Europe, the weather will be mild, which is unusual there considering the season.

Lillafüred_Hunguest Hotel Palota_winter
Read alsoThis winter will be unusually cold in Hungary

On the weekend, an intensive anticyclone will appear near the European seashore of the Atlantic Ocean. That will bring mild air from North Africa to the continent’s centre. In high altitudes, the air may be 10-12 degrees warmer than usual. That will create extensive fog on the ground in Central Europe. In Western Europe, there will be no mist because of the strong winds. Therefore, in the Western part of the continent, the temperature may exceed even 15-20 degrees by next week.

From next Wednesday, a vast anticyclone will move towards the North bringing cold air from the Northeast to Hungary. That may result in snow flurries in Hungary, in the higher parts of the Northeast. Therefore, the weather will turn wintery in Central Europe next week.

Weather-top-officials-of-Hungary
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Overcast, foggy, rainy weather expected this week – weather forecast

Unortunately, we should not expect good weather this week. What we will get is ugly fog and rain, but the cold is also delayed.

The typically overcast and humid weather will continue next week, with fog expected in the mornings. Daytime highs will be 9-15 degrees Celsius, with no frost at night, according to the National Meteorological Service’s forecast.

Monday, 7 November

On Monday, the morning will start overcast, humid and foggy in some parts, but a front from the northwest will break the clouds over a larger area, clearing and becoming sunny. However, the eastern and south-eastern third of the country may remain overcast and foggy all day, szmo.hu writes. Drizzle to be expected mainly in the lowlands, with a chance of light rain in the northwest. Daytime highs will be between 9 and 15 degrees Celsius, with higher temperatures in the western Transdanubian region.

Tuesday, 8 November

On Tuesday, there will also be more persistent overcast, humid, foggy and less cloudy, sunny areas. Drizzle may occur in some areas. Winds from the south, southeast mainly in the northern Transdanubian region, becoming stronger at times. Overnight lows will be between 1 and 8 degrees Celsius, with highs of 9 to 12 degrees Celsius in overcast areas and 13 to 17 degrees Celsius in sunny areas in the early afternoon.

Wednesday, 9 November

On Wednesday, there will be both more persistent overcast and cloudy, sunny areas. Drizzle and light rain in places. Winds from the south and southeast will become stronger in several places in the Transdanubian region. Overnight lows will be between 3 and 9 degrees Celsius, with highs of 9 to 12 degrees Celsius in the early afternoon in overcast areas and 13 to 18 degrees Celsius in less cloudy areas.

Thursday, 10 November

On Thursday morning, there will be widespread fog and overcast, and a thicker front may arrive from the northwest, moving southeastwards during the day. Thereafter, clouds will decrease from the northwest in the afternoon and evening, but areas of overcast and humid conditions may persist mainly in the eastern and northeastern counties.

Friday, 11 November

Friday is expected to be generally cloudy with moderate to heavy clouds. Rain or showers are possible in places. In many areas, the winds from the north and northwest will become stronger and occasionally stronger. Temperatures may reach 0 to 8 degrees Celsius at dawn and 9 to 14 degrees Celsius in the early afternoon.

Saturday, 12 November

Saturday is expected to be mostly cloudy. Rain or showers are possible in places. Winds from the north, northeast will become stronger in many places. Minimum temperatures are expected to be between 0 and 8 degrees, maximum between 7 and 14 degrees.

Sunday, 13 November

Sunday will be mostly cloudy with moderate to heavy clouds. Occasional showers are expected. Strong gusts of wind from the east and southeast. Temperatures could rise from 1-9 degrees Celsius in the morning to between 9 and 15 degrees Celsius.

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Read alsoAlert issued for the weekend in Hungary – weather forecast

Alert issued for the weekend in Hungary – weather forecast

budapest bad weather

Heavy rains are coming, with warnings issued for Friday and Saturday. In addition, strong winds are expected over the weekend.

Rainy days are coming, with heavy rainfall expected in several places, according to the weather forecast of Időkép.

Saturday, 5 November

On Saturday, we can expect cloudy and overcast weather. With the exception of the western and northwestern parts of the country, there will be a chance of rain and showers in different parts of the day. The north-northwest wind will be strong in the western part of the country and in the northern regions, with occasional gusty gusts in the higher parts of the Transdanubian region. During the day, highs of 11 to 18 degrees Celsius are possible.

Sunday, 6 November

On Sunday, there will be more rain in the beginning, with some spots in the afternoon, and clouds will break up. Temperatures could reach between 11 and 18 degrees Celsius with a strong north-northeast wind in places.

Monday, 7 November

On Monday, precipitation will occur in places east of the Danube, while clouds will break up from the west during the day. There will be little air movement. Highs in the early afternoon could be between 11 and 17 degrees.

Tuesday, 8 November

On Tuesday, after a misty, foggy morning, the weather may remain grey in several areas east of the Danube, with daytime highs of around 10 degrees Celsius, while in the windier Transdanubian region, the weather is expected to be sunnier and warmer, with temperatures of 13-17 degrees Celsius.

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Energy crisis in Hungary: Rough December ahead, experts say

budapest hungary danube winter snow

Concerned by the looming energy crisis, everybody has one question: how hard will this coming winter be? There are conflicting predictions about the weather during December. However, a new simulation predicts that the start of the winter will be harsher than usual. We got used to the warmer winters in the past years so this year might bring some unpleasant surprises.

The Institute of Climate Politics predicts that the start of the winter will be colder than average — reports Infostart.hu. Fortunately, the second half of the winter should be milder than usual though. These are not rules carved in stone, but experts verify the plausibility of this scenario. When it comes to weather forecasts, multiple factors should be considered — said Erik Kovács, a researcher at the institute. General trends of the past decades give a firm indication of what can be expected. Needless to say, climate processes are also taken into consideration during the formulation of the analyses. However, there are numerous other physical, chemical and weather variables, that can change everything. Different models are then used to make forecasts and create various different scenarios. Later, the probability of each scenario is examined and the one with the most likelihood is chosen.

Colder winter

This year’s predictions show that from November until the end of December, temperatures will be lower than usual in Europe. Snowfall is even possible, which has been quite a rare occurrence in many countries over the years. There is a 30 to 35 percent chance that air currents will come from the direction of Siberia. This would mean a cold, but dry winter. Another likely scenario is that a current from the direction of the Atlantic Ocean will bring warmer air. This is expected to arrive in the months of January and February, so these months will be milder. This is also the current that allows Northern Europe to be much warmer, than the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

On the one hand, according to the models, in December temperatures will be 0.5 to 1.5 degrees colder than average. During the day we can expect to have temperatures below zero more than once. On the other hand, temperatures in January and February are expected to be 1.5 to 2 degrees higher than average. This means that frost will only happen at night, most likely. But of course, these are all just possibilities. There is no way to predict the future with a hundred percent certainty.

The cold is expected to arrive by the end of this week. Temperatures will be around 11 and 16 degrees, according to Index.hu. In mid-November, temperatures might drop below 10 degrees and the average will be around 9 degrees. At night, the first minuses are expected and 1 degree will be the maximum.

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The perfect weather for outings continues – weather forecast

Mild weather is expected next week, with highs in the 20s Celsius range. There may be showers and thunderstorms at the beginning of the week, but in the second half of the week, most parts of the country will enjoy several hours of sunshine, according to a forecast by the National Meteorological Service (OMSZ), which was sent to MTI on Sunday.

Monday

Monday will be mostly cloudy in the northeastern and northern counties, with variable cloud cover elsewhere, with more or less sunshine, and no significant precipitation. In the second half of the day, thicker clouds will move in from the northwest and north, with increasing precipitation from the evening. Daytime highs will be between 19 and 25 degrees Celsius in most parts of the country, but in the persistently cloudy and humid northeastern and northern parts, it will be only 14-18 degrees Celsius, the OMSZ forecast said.

Tuesday

Tuesday morning will be mostly cloudy or overcast, with a chance of patches of mist and fog. Rain or showers may occur in several places, then clouds will diminish and the sun will shine from the afternoon. Winds from the northwest and west will increase in places, napi.hu writes. Temperatures will be between 7 and 14 degrees at dawn and between 15 and 22 degrees in the afternoon.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, we can expect some sunshine in most parts of the country, but fog and overcast may persist in places. On top of that, a relatively narrow band of clouds from a warm front may extend over the region. Drizzle and light rain may occur in places. Generally, air movement will remain moderate, with temperatures rising from 3-11 degrees in the morning to between 15 and 21 degrees.

Thursday

On Thursday morning, fog and overcast is expected in many areas. During the day, the fog will thin out, with a few spots remaining until the afternoon. The clouds will also clear, and several hours of sunshine can be expected. From the evening, fog will return, with a chance of drizzle in places. Winds will remain light with minimum temperatures between 2 and 11 degrees and maximum temperatures between 15 and 21 degrees.

Friday

On Friday, there will be both bright, sunny and more persistent cloudy and foggy skies, with some clouds drifting over the country. At most, light drizzle may occur in places. Some light easterly and southeasterly winds in places, with lows of 3 to 11 degrees and highs of 14 to 21 degrees.

Saturday

Saturday will be sunny in most parts of the country, but overcast, foggy areas and clouds may persist. No significant precipitation is expected, with a slight chance of drizzle in places. The winds from the south and southeast may pick up slightly in places, with temperatures rising from 3-11 degrees Celsius in the morning to between 14 and 20 degrees Celsius.

Sunday

Sunday will be sunny in most parts of the country, but cloudy and foggy areas may persist, with a chance of cloud cover. No significant precipitation is expected, with some light drizzle here and there. Some southwest winds may become slightly stronger in places. From 2 to 10 degrees Celsius in the morning, the air may warm up to between 14 and 20 degrees Celsius, the OMSZ weather forecast says.

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Cold weather, minuses arrive in Hungary!

Weather Hungary news Budapest winter cold

It seems that the Indian summer is to end next week in Hungary. Minuses will arrive again, and the weather will turn wintery, so you should take out the winter coat from your closet.

According to metropol.hu, we can enjoy the warmth of the Indian summer only until next week. Thermometres will display minus degrees in many places soon. Based on the forecast of the Hungarian Meteorological Service, until Wednesday, the daily temperature will rise to 23 °C, but from Thursday, cold will arrive in Hungary. The lowest temperatures will be between minus 2 and 9 °C at night, metropol added.

Idokep.hu says today we may experience 19-25 °C in the afternoon, so we might feel as if summer has returned to Hungary. Mild winds will dominate the northeastern regions of the country. We can busk in a lot of sunshine and clear skies on Monday, there will be no precipitation. In the morning, there might be fog, but winds will get stronger only in the southern and southeastern counties of Hungary. In the afternoon, thermometers will show 19-24 °C.

Lake Velence hottest summer hungary
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On Tuesday, the morning will be foggy and humid, but the afternoon will be sunny and warm again. Winds will remain moderate, and no precipitation is expected. Temperature highs will come between 18 and 23 °C.

By Wednesday, a cold front will reach Hungary. Northeastern winds will get stronger, while some parts of the country will experience rains and showers. However, most regions will remain sunny. The temperature will fall significantly and, at dawn, there will be frosts. The afternoon temperature will also be lower than in the previous days, between 11 and 16 °C.

 

Menczer Cegléd
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You will like this article: weather forecast for the weekend, next week

Weather Hungary green tree fountain

The weather will be sunny, warm, and almost summery this weekend. Furthermore, there will be no ground frosts in Hungary until mid-October, which is also good news. Below you may read our weather forecast.

Saturday

The weather will be sunny with occasional cirrostratus clouds. In the afternoon, cumulus may appear in the sky, but there will be no precipitation except for the Northwest regions. Winds will be moderate and weak. The temperature may rise to 20-25 °C. At night, a weak cold front will arrive in Hungary. As a result, winds will get strong in the Transdanubia, and rains may fall in the Northern mountains, idokep.hu wrote.

Sunday

Hours-long sunshine. Small showers will be only in the central parts of Hungary. North winds may become strong. At dawn, you should expect 6-14 °C, which will increase to 17-23 °C by the afternoon.

Monday

The weather will remain sunny with occasional cirrostratus clouds coming from the South. There will be no precipitation. The Southeastern winds will get strong. The morning will be cold with only 1-8 °C. Even frosts may appear in the cold corners of the country. In the afternoon, the maximums will be around 15-20 °C.

Lillafüred_Hunguest Hotel Palota_winter
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Tuesday

The sun and some clouds will rule the day. Precipitation is expected but there will be no considerable winds. Temperature maximums will be between 17 and 22 °C.

Wednesday

Meteorologists expect clouds with rare showers. In the Northeastern parts of the country, winds may get strong. In the afternoon, the thermometers will show a maximum of 16-20 °C.

Drought-in-Hungary-River-Tisza
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This winter will be unusually cold in Hungary

Lillafüred_Hunguest Hotel Palota_winter

Some of us wish winter was as cold as it can get with lots of snow, while some of us want to get over it as soon as possible. According to forecast, this winter in Hungary will benefit those who fall into the former category. Read on to find out what to expect this coming months.

According to the Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, this winter will not only be colder than average, but there will also be less wind and precipitation. Unfortunately, this could give a further boost to energy prices.

According to the intergovernmental organisation, less rainfall and wind than usual is expected. This could make not only gas but also electricity more expensive. We can expect to have to heat Hungary more in winter, too, RTL meteorologist Tamás Allaga said, as we can read in the article of napi.hu.

We are not used to such cold weather

Recent winters have been warmer than average. Last year was the 12th mildest winter in Hungary since 1901. The average temperatures were 1.7 °Celsius above average. A year earlier, the Meteorological Service recorded even warmer temperatures. This year, however, it will not only be colder, but there will also be less wind and precipitation.

“Major cold snaps may be followed by transitional spring periods. Cold snaps are characterised by lows of -5 to -10 °Celsius and highs of zero °Celsius,” said Allaga. The colder weather could make gas more expensive and the less wind and precipitation can make electricity cost more.

“During colder weather, our consumption increased by 5-10 percent compared to the average consumption. But now, we can predict that if we had an average winter, and we take into account that people and businesses are saving, we can expect savings of 10, even 20 percent,” energy expert Gábor Bali said.

This week’s forecast – Indian summer is coming

On Thursday, the sunshine will be filtered by clouds, with no rain. Winds may pick up only in some places. In the early morning, 5-11 °Celsius can be expected, in the frosty valleys 3-4 °Celsius and in the afternoon 20-25 °C. Friday will be another sunny day. Fog and mist will dissipate by early morning. Winds may be strong in the northwest and in places in the lowlands. The morning will be a few degrees milder, with summer temperatures of 20-24 degrees in the afternoon.

The pleasant weather will continue over the weekend, with a few light showers only on Sunday. Apart from that, most parts of our country will enjoy longer periods of sunshine, Időkép writes. Mornings will be foggy and humid in places. In the afternoon, temperatures will reach or exceed 20 degrees in most places.

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The weather will be beautiful from today in Hungary – forecast

Weather Hungary autumn forecast

Were you afraid that the Indian summer would never arrive in Hungary? Did you plan trips this or last week you had to postpone because of the rainy, foggy weather? Now we have some good news for you.

We reported last week that meteorologists expect the Indian summer would arrive in Hungary at the beginning of October. Even though the reliability of the forecasts is low in the longer term, it seems this time they were right. Therefore, blikk.hu encourages everybody to get some fresh air today because the weather will be beautiful with a lot of sunshine.

There will be clouds only from the West, and some short showers are expected in the Transdanubia and the Northeastern parts of Hungary. Northeastern winds become stronger, but the daily temperature will be between 17 and 22 °C. That will decrease to 10 and 16 °C by night. On Sunday, there will be no dangerous weather patterns anywhere over Hungary.

By Monday morning, clouds will disappear, and there will be no precipitation anywhere in Hungary. Thus, there will be beautiful autumn weather everywhere in the country despite the strong northeastern winds. The minimums at night are expected to come between 8 and 13 °C.

Eger summer wine Ferenc Tóth winery
Read alsoGood news: Indian summer will arrive in Hungary soon!

Idokep.hu writes that we should expect a lot of sunshine on Monday. Showers are not likely. However, the wind will be strong, sometimes a gale force. The temperature will be between 16 and 21 °C. On Tuesday, the beautiful sunshine will be disturbed only by cumulus clouds and rare showers. But the weather is expected to remain fine, with maximums ranging between 15-20 °C.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the weather will be dry and sunny. There will be no winds, temperature will continue to rise. On Wednesday, thermometres might show even 17-22 °C and 18-23 °C on Thursday during the warmest hours of the day.

budapest heavy rainstorm
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Good news: Indian summer will arrive in Hungary soon!

Eger summer wine Ferenc Tóth winery

It might happen that, in some weeks, you will feel better outside than inside in Hungary. That is because Hungarian public institutions will only be heated to 18 °C, while on the streets there will be 25 °C and sunshine. Indian summer will arrive in Hungary soon. Below you may read the details.

The end of this September is much colder than average, and there are a lot of rains everywhere in Hungary. That is good news because of the drought that hit Hungary hard during the summer but depletes our bank account. The heating season started in many places in Hungary because of the extra low temperatures, so people have to pay their increased energy bills earlier than people previously thought. Indian summer may ease that burden for a while soon, rtl.hu reported.

In Hungary, summer is hot and dry while autumn is windy and rainy but not extreme cold. However, hot weather can return even in October. The characteristic of such days is that, despite morning fogs and rains, late morning and afternoons are nice and warm, perfect for a jogging program or a trip. Therefore, it is not unusual to see people going to work, and school in jackets and returning home wearing only a T-shirt.

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That is because on windless days, the sun waves reaching our body can raise even 10 °C on our general feeling of heat. 

This year the Indian summer will not be long, rtl.hu says. Furthermore, we must wait for it for a while. Until Sunday late afternoon, the weather will be dry and cold. Afterwards, rains will start everywhere in Hungary. The temperature will rise next week, but rains will also remain. 

Middle-term forecasts show that the weather will turn dry again next weekend, while the temperature will continue to rise. Though uncertainties are significant in longer-term prognoses, rtl.hu believes that hot weather may arrive in early October for a couple of days. That would mean 20-25 °C daily maximums and a lot of sunshine.

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Unsure, longer-term forecasts say that there will not be tremendous rain in Hungary in October, the weather will be dry but not too warm.

In Hungary, we use the term “vénasszonyok nyara” for the Indian summer. That is because in the villages, older women could not sit in front of their houses during the summer heat, only in early autumn, when the weather was still hot but not scorching. Therefore, fall became their summer when they could talk, gossip and enjoy the sunshine.

 

Weather to turn wintery next week: prepare for frost!

budapest hungary danube winter snow

The weather in Hungary will turn wintery next week: even frosts may occur in some places. Here is our short weather forecast.

The Hungarian Meteorological Service (OMSZ) says that we should prepare for much colder weather next week than usual at this time of the year. In some places, soil frost will also occur, the OMSZ added. That is because a cold front will reach the Carpathian basin on Monday. That means the daily maximum temperature will remain below 20 °C. Furthermore, the minimums will also decrease next week, szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu reported.

In the coldest parts of the country, the air temperature will be below 5 °C, and there will be soil frost. As a result, in some settlements, heating will be inevitable.

budapest heavy rainstorm
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VIDEOS: Budapest is under water after heavy rains

budapest heavy rainstorm

In addition to Zala and Somogy, the National Meteorological Service (OMSZ) has issued a second-level alert for Baranya, Tolna, Vas and Veszprém counties on Thursday. The storm has already reached Budapest, among other places, with torrential rain and hurricane-force winds hitting Deák Ferenc Square and other locations in the city.

According to the OMSZ, at the moment, in addition to lightning, there is also a risk of wind and hail accompanying thunderstorms, Origo reports. Gusts of 60-80 km/h can be expected in the vicinity of thunderstorms, and 90-110 km/h in the case of heavy thunderstorms.

The storm hit Budapest late in the afternoon. This is the situation on Deák Ferenc Square:

And this is what Kőbánya looks like:

The OMSZ warned that heavy rainfall of up to 25-40 millimetres could fall locally in a short period of time today. Thunderstorms are forecast to be gradually confined to the southern areas.

Like a hurricane, this is how the storm raged in the 10th district of Budapest:

Due to the heavy rainfall, metro line M2 did not stop at the Blaha Lujza Square station due to power supply problems. The problem has since been resolved.

But the storm is not over yet, and more counties could be hit. In addition to Zala, Somogy, Baranya, Tolna, Vas and Veszprém counties, the OMSZ has issued a second-level alert for Bács-Kiskun, Csongrád-Csanád and Fejér counties, Origo writes.

The OMSZ added: during the evening, the atmosphere will stabilise from the northwest, and gradually the thunderstorm activity will be limited to the southern areas. On Friday, during the day, a few light thunderstorms may occur in the south, southwest and near the border.

budapest heavy rainstorm
A tree fell down in a storm in Kisfaludy Street in the 19th district of Budapest on 15 September 2022. Source: MTI/Zoltán Mihádák
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Hungarian agriculture minister: Fighting droughts is a strategic issue

Hungarian-agriculture-farmers-drought

Taking measures against droughts is a strategic task for the national economy, the minister of agriculture told a local conference on Thursday, and called for renewing irrigation canals nationwide, and building new, large reservoirs.

István Nagy called for efforts to raise the level of ground waters, and said building a dam on the River Tisza in the Csongrád area was unavoidable. The facility would raise water levels in the river and help areas along the river to retain water, he said.

“Over one fifth of Hungary’s arable land has simply dried out,” Nagy said referring to the droughts in recent months, and noted the government’s efforts to aid the farmers impacted, including a moratorium on debt service, and subsidies to help them buy fodder for the animal stock and to pay increased energy bills. He also said changes to the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy would make direct subsidies available also to areas “crucial for the environment, climate, or biodiversity” from next year on, which he said could encourage farmers on some 100,000 hectares to preserve forests, pastures, and moorland, thus promoting economical water management.

Referring to Hungary’s recently established irrigation communities, the minister said over 85,000 hectares of a total 174,200 hectares of land with an irrigation licence were actually irrigated in 2021. 

Fully 60 percent of Hungary’s territory is arable land; 50 percent of that area is used for growing wheat, corn, and barley, and 20 percent for industrial plants, sunflowers and rapeseeds, Nagy said, adding that both wheat and corn were “among the most vulnerable plants” in terms of climate change. “Under this climate they could only be safely produced through irrigation,” he said.

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Now it’s official: In Hungary, summer 2022 hottest since 1901

Lake Velence hottest summer hungary

The summer of 2022 was the hottest since 1901, with median temperatures reaching 22.9 C, two degrees above the average between 1901 and 2020, the National Meteorological Service (OMSZ) said on Monday.

The summer saw five heat waves, with only short cooler periods in between, OMSZ said. Top temperatures were above average in all three summer months, hitting 39.6 C in June in Berettyoujfalu, in eastern Hungary, and rising to 41.5 C in Hodmezovasarhely, in the southeast, in July. After a cooler period in early August, temperatures soared again, and a daily record of 39.6 C was measured in Baja, in southern Hungary.

The number of hot days was also above average. In the whole summer, 11 days saw temperatures above 35 C, 8 more than the average, and there were 46 days with temperatures above 30 degrees, 20 more than the average, OMSZ said.

This summer was also the 24th driest summer since 1901, with only 137.3mm of precipitation on average, compared with the seasonal average of 203.5mm, OMSZ said. The most rain fell in Rabagyarmat (347.8mm) this summer, while the driest was Mezobereny Hosszufok (31.5mm). In southeastern Hungary, this summer was the driest since 1901.

The January-August period was the driest since 1901 in the Great Plain and east of the River Tisza.

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Hungary’s weather service to be restructured after top officials fired

Hungary weather service Palkovics

The National Meteorological Service (OMSZ) has been gradually turning into an information supplier over the last twenty years and research activities, much needed for the transformation of Hungary’s energy systems, has been losing priority, the minister of technology and industry said on Friday.

László Palkovics told a roving conference of the OMSZ in Szeged, in southern Hungary, that he had proposed the organisation’s restructuring, and setting up a national meteorological and climate research service with an increased number of staff. Some 2 billion forints (EUR 4.9m) will be allocated by 2027 for the restructuring project, he added.

In response to a question concerning his recent decision to fire the OMSZ’s leader and her deputy following the postponement of the August 20 fireworks based on a forecast of rain by the organisation, he said he did not want to work together with them in the new structure of the service. At the same time, he said “nothing else is ruled out”.

A local MTI correspondent reported that around one hundred peaceful protesters were waiting for the minister in front of the Szeged University building where the meeting was held.

The minister said a so-called energy transition strategy has been drawn up with the aim of helping Hungary move away from fossil fuels to an electricity-based energy mix. The problem, however, he said, was that Hungary currently lacks storage capacity, though the country’s photovoltaic capacity will double within a few years from the current 6GW.

Palkovics highlighted the role of weather forecasts in renewable energy production, noting that such forecasts needed to be updated every 15 minutes. “If we can’t predict whether the sun will be shining or not, it costs money,” he said.

Ninety percent of balancing energy costs can be chalked up to errors in forecasts when it comes to weather-dependent renewable energy sources, Palkovics said. Whereas the share of inaccurate estimates in Germany is 10 percent, data from power transmission system operator Mavir suggests that solar power plants in Hungary have an error rate of 30 percent, he added.

The technology and industry ministry is able to see these forecasts long before the agriculture ministry which had previously overseen the OMSZ, Palkovics said. That is the reason why the OMSZ is now overseen by the technology and industry ministry, “not because of August 20”, he added.

Hungary’s weather top officials back leaders fired by minister over wrong forecast

Weather-top-officials-of-Hungary

Several top officials of the Hungarian Meteorological Service (OMSZ) signed a letter in which they would like László Palkovics, the minister of innovation and technology, to withdraw the dismissal of the institute’s head and vice-head. Palkovics decided to fire the top officials, chairwoman Kornélia Radics and vice-chair Gyula Horváth because the OMSZ said there would be thunderstorms on 20 August. Therefore, the government postponed the fireworks, but the rain did not arrive.

Weather prognosis did not come true

As we reported earlier, the government-close newspapers started to slam the OMSZ immediately, saying their prognosis was wrong. On Monday, the minister responsible fired the head and deputy head of the OMSZ, a decision almost all international media outlets reported. 

Today, the OMSZ issued a statement signed by many of its top officials in which they requested the abolishment of the minister’s decision, MTI reported. They added they wanted an independent investigation of the issue to shed light on the activity and decision-making process of the operative board. Furthermore, they would like the investigation results to be made public.

Moreover, they would like an independent committee to evaluate the meteorological forecasts for 2à August. They also want those results to be shared with the public. In the meantime, the top officials of the OMSZ would like Mrs Radics and Mr Horváth to be reinstated in their positions.

Government pressure on the OMSZ

They added that such investigations are needed to restore the professional authority of the institution. The OMSZ has been taking part in the operative board’s work since 2006, and they always gave the best of their knowledge. They said they did so this year, as well. They even conducted extra calculations to be able to give the most precise forecast possible.

They highlighted that there was pressure on them from the part of the government. That had an effect on the communication of their forecasts, which neglected the uncertainty of their prognosis even though that is a characteristic of their profession. They cleared that Palkovics’s decision is nothing more than passing on the collective responsibility of the operative board to the OMSZ. They added they could not work under such political pressure, MTI reported.

Some politicians and opposition parties expressed support for the top officials of the OMSZ. They include Jobbik, Tibor Déri, the mayor of the 4th district, and former opposition PM candidate Péter Márki-Zay, hvg.hu wrote.

The vice-head was not even there, he was on holiday

G7.hu reported that the OMSZ wanted to postpone the time of the decision about the evening fireworks on 20 August. The news outlet wrote that the meteorologists requested a decision at 3-4 pm because then they would have had more precise data. However, the leader of the operative board, Zoltán Kovács, Hungary’s international spokesman, ignored their bid.

Gergely Gulyás said that firing the two top OMSZ officials was because of their “lack of competence.” Gyula Horváth issued a statement today saying nobody ever criticized his work. Moreover, PM Viktor Orbán decorated him in 2020. When he spoke with secretary Anikó Raisz, she did not mention a reason. Horváth worked for the OMSZ for 22 years. Now he has to accept the government’s decision even though he did not take part in the work of the operative board since he was on holiday, 24.hu reported.

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