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List of forbidden bathing spots in Hungary – to avoid being fined

This summer’s extreme heatwaves in Hungary make everyone want to rush to the beach as frequently as possible. Before choosing the perfect spot at a lake or a river, it is crucial to remember where we can freely take a swim – without having to pay a fine.

In terms of weather changes and heat, this summer has been crazy in Hungary so far.

Hottest summer in Hungary since 1901

With these high temperatures lasting weeks, no wonder everyone needs a cool refreshment and a nice swim. But before we leave home, it is crucial to check out which waters are suitable and open to the public. Apart from the possible dangers of choosing a prohibited river,

violating the law can come with a fine of up to 150 thousand forints (around 400 euros).

We do not only talk about hidden and banned areas of Hungary’s big rivers but also about otherwise popular bathing spots at the Danube or the river Tisza. Some of these locations became dangerous after the recent storms that deposited alluvium and made them a possible source of infections.

Hellovidek.hu highlights the most important

rule regarding rivers: bathing is only allowed in sections flowing through a city if there is a man-built beach.

They are considered safe places where the flow of the river will not cause an accident.

In general, the most crucial regulation

considering outdoor bathing in natural waters is to always do so in marked areas where it is not prohibited!

Easy and informative signs help us decide where to look for a refreshing time.

The designated sign for a bathing area is usually marked with a black figure on waves on a white-based board.

If a location is not considered safe for bathing or swimming, two red lines cross the black figure.

It is important to remember that not only walking into the water for a while is considered bathing. Any equipment for swimming, inflatable objects like a beach mattress, and water bicycles all fall under this category.

If we choose a hidden spot of a lake or a river instead of a built beach, it is key to know which areas to avoid, not to get hurt and not to receive a hefty fine. Always look for the sign of the black figure on the waves!

Here is a brief list of where and how it is forbidden to go into water:

On the path of a ship or in the 100 metres radius of a buoy marking the path of a ship, the radius of floating construction machines, or of any object floating on water not designed for a beach
In the 300 metres radius of water stairs and underwater constructions; in the 100 metres radius of bridges, underwater machines, ferries, and havens
In the area of ports, loading stands, hithes, designated areas for jet-ski, water ski, and other water sports
In waters that pose a risk on health, in areas at the borders, and waters inside a city
At night with limited visibility, except if the surface of the water is illuminated, but only until deep water, marked by a sign

These locations are forbidden for a reason. There are no lifeguards or anyone that could help in case of a dangerous situation.

Every year at Lake Balaton, between April 1 and October 10, a storm signalling system is being operated. It has 29 stations around the lake. The system differentiates two levels of storm intensity:

Level 1 means that the yellow light flickers 45 times a minute which forbids bathing farther than 500 metres from the shore
Level 2 means that the yellow light flickers 90 times a minute. Bathing is forbidden!

Bathing in most of Hungary’s quarry ponds is prohibited!

Their water deepens very quickly with the illusion of the lakebed disappearing, apart from the sudden temperature change, which is hard on the human body.

If you can not leave the city but want to be refreshed while out with your dog or with friends, we have bad news.

Climbing into a fountain is also forbidden!

In case you violate these rules, you can receive a fine on the spot for 5-50 thousand forints (15-150 euros). If you are spotted for the second time, it increases to 200 euros. The third option of the Police is to start a legal procedure, the cost of which can be as high as 400 euros.

These are the lakes where bathing is open for anyone (apart from the beaches of Lake Balaton):

Lake Omszki, Pest County
Quarry Pond of Rücker, Baranya County
Quarry Pond of Fyőrújfalu
Quarry Pond of Tarcal, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County
Some lakes of Délegyháza, Pest County
Quarry ponds around Békéscsaba, Békés County
The majority of quarry ponds of Somogy County

When it comes to the Danube, here are the areas where we can have a swim:

all public beaches operated by the settlements of Dunakeszi, Göd, Szentendre, Verőce, Dunabogdány, Nagymaros, Kisoroszi, Ráckeve, Szigetcsép, and Szigetszentmárton.

If you need more information, you can find all Hungarian beaches on this website.

Hungarian workforce - Passport Travel Luggage

Read alsoHow to travel to Hungary this summer

August 13, 2021

Watch out! Heat and storm alert issued for whole Hungary

Due to a weak cold front, the sunny weather may be temporarily disturbed by clouds today, but only in a few places may showers and thunderstorms appear. 14-20°C in the morning and 29-35°C is expected in the afternoon.

The National Meteorological Service has issued a country-wide alert: most counties are warned of thunderstorms. In the other half of the country, the warning was issued due to extreme heat.

Met writes that there may be some thunderstorms in the country on Wednesday. The lowest chance of their occurrence is in the Southern Great Plain; the highest probability is in Western Transdanubia and the Northern Central Mountains.

Heatwave to peak on Sunday

According to Index, there will be a lot of sunshine on Thursday; only a few veil clouds or cumulus can appear in the sky. No significant precipitation is expected. In some places, northerly winds may pick up. The temperature will be around 12–19°C at dawn and 27–33°C in the afternoon.

On Friday, we can expect mostly sunny weather. A short-term rain or a thunderstorm is only likely in a few Western spots. The peak temperature will be between 28 and 34°C.

On Saturday, the main role will be played by the sun, only rarely will a running shower or thunderstorm develop. In the north and the northwest, the southwest wind can pick up. 30-35°C is to be expected in the afternoon.

On Sunday, there may be more clouds, especially in the west and north, accompanied by scattered showers and thunderstorms. South-southwest winds will pick up in several places; the temperature will be around 30-36°C.

Read alsoBrutal storms and crazy weather hit Hungary on Monday – VIDEOS

August 11, 2021

Brutal storms and crazy weather hit Hungary on Monday – VIDEOS

On Monday morning, the crazy storms and extreme weather conditions caused massive chaos in the Hungarian capital. The water flood on the streets of Budapest has completely paralysed the traffic, causing enormous damage and huge traffic jams at the beginning of the week. Videos can be checked out below!

Not long after last week’s extreme weather, this Monday started with crazy storms in Budapest that flooded the Hungarian capital within seconds. As Borsonline reports, the stormy rains poured such a large amount of water into the streets of the Hungarian capital that the sewer system could no longer drain it.

The flooding water paralysed both car traffic and public transport; furthermore, traffic lights did not work either that caused massive traffic jams on the roads. Extreme weather conditions and non-functioning traffic lights lead to car crashes in Budapest. On Monday morning, disaster protection units were alerted to about fifty locations in the Hungarian capital and Pest County due to the sudden stormy rainfall.

Professional and voluntary disaster management units were alerted to remove torn tree branches and pump out basements, garages, basements flooded with water.

An orange alarm is still in effect due to the stromy weather conditions.

However, not only the Hungarian capital but Hungary as a whole – except for Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg counties – suffered storm damages over the weekend. On Sunday, 175 firefighter interventions were required to resolve problems caused by fallen trees, torn tree branches that fell on roads, houses, electrical wires.

In addition, our neighbors did not get away with stormy weather last weekend either – reported by Index.

In several places, the storm caused great damages: there were flooded roads, twisted streets, flowing streams of water and hails.

Storm Budapest — *Photo: MTI/Mihádák Zoltán*

In Slovakia, due to the rising water level of the River Danube flood protection alert was issued in Bratislava and the surroundings. Presumably, the water level may peak on Monday afternoon, reaching seven meters and can even rise further.

In Austria, floods were mostly reported in Salzburg, Tyrol and Upper Austria due to extreme weather conditions. In the province of Salzburg, the Kothbach stream spilt, the water flooded Hallein’s old town. In Tyrol, trees were twisted by the storm, and water broke into basements and underground garages. Several roads became impassable in Upper Austria, where firefighters were alerted to more than 500 cases.

In Romania, more than two hundred people were evacuated due to the floods, the landslide damaged 16 houses, and another 72 houses were flooded in Roşia Montană. Fortunately, the storm has no human victim, but the material damage is significant.

In Transcarpathia, trees were felled by the stormy wind; as a result, 11 settlements were completely, and 19 were partially left without electricity last night. The wind damaged 35 houses in Beregvidék, 19 trees fell on the roads of Ukraine. Due to the vast downpour, two mudslides rushing down the hillsides flooded a road in the Huszti district.

Firefighters were alerted to the scene to make the road walkable. Serious thunderstorms are still expected in much of the county.

Read alsoClimate concerns still on public’s mind during pandemic

July 20, 2021

Hungary’s third biggest lake is drying out! — VIDEO

A drone video shows the poor condition of Hungary’s third-largest natural lake. Water has completely disappeared from part of the highly protected area. This is also ominous news because it is an important nesting area for many waterfowl.

The Gárdonyi Közlöny presented a video that illustrates the scale of the problem in certain parts of Lake Velence. According to the recordings, the water in the area of the bird sanctuary in the southwestern part of the lake disappeared completely.

“Lake Velence has lost 44 per cent of its water in the last two years.

Due to water scarcity, the nature reserve in the south-western part of the lake, the Lake Velence bird sanctuary, has almost completely dried up,” writes Gárdony Közlöny.

This area is an important nesting area for waterfowl.

In the list of wild waters of international importance, the 420-hectare area of Lake Velence was declared highly protected in 1958. This area is home to the great egret, the Eurasian spoonbill, the great crested grebe, the little grebe and the summer goose, among others. This area is not only important for birds. The original bog flora of the reserve is also significant from a nature conservation point of view.

The uniqueness of the place is proved by the presence of the spleen orchid species called the onion shell, which is rare in Europe, writes hvg.hu. On the website of the Danube-Ipoly National Park, you can read what the main task would be to protect the lake and the area.

The main conservation task is to regulate the water level of Lake Velence.

Lake Velence has been in the spotlight several times this summer. Due to the high heat and low rainfall, very low water levels were measured at Lake Velence. At the beginning of the summer, its water level was 39 centimetres below the minimum control level. The consequence of this is the decrease of the oxygen level in the water and the significant destruction of the fish stock, writes index.hu.

Locals are trying to fix the problem both individually and at the organisational level. Volunteers helped the Hungarian National Fishermen’s Association to clean up the dead fish. Civilians also collected several bags of garbage and dead fish separately. The Volunteer Firefighters of the City of Venice pumped water into the lake to help supply fish with oxygen. Animal Welfare came up with an interesting idea. Jet ski owners are asked to stir the stagnant water using the vehicle.

July 18, 2021

The best things you could do in Budapest to avoid the scorching summer heat!

When the sweat-inducing, scorching heat arrives in Hungary, even the most desolate city dweller tries to escape into the greenery or to waterfront sites where you can relax in shaded, cool places for hours. Our selection is subjective, but we recommend them wholeheartedly in and around Budapest.

Cool breeze awaits in the forest

Around the country, many of our big cities, including Budapest, offer lovely, cool hikes in the forest or near waterfronts.

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In Óbuda, there is the Kiscelli forest, with its well-shaded spaces, perfect for a picnic or a dog walk. A few kilometres away, we can walk on the slopes of Hármashatárhegy or relax on its mossy boulders.

Cool underground!

Due to the geographical conditions of our country, we have many cave systems that can be visited. In Budapest, we have three caves to cool ourselves in such wonderful natural formations as the Stalactite Cave in the Pál Valley.

https://www.facebook.com/PalVolgyiBarlang/photos/418173322134646

The caves are really cool, the temperature there is around 11 °C all year round, so in the summer, it is worth dressing a little warmer.

Botanical Garden – Oasis in the VIII. district

https://www.facebook.com/ELTE-F%C3%BCv%C3%A9szkert-116600588398600/photos/4285206814871269

It is highly recommended that you look around Hungary’s most well-known botanical garden. The Herb Garden of ELTE is a green “island” in the concrete jungle of the city where we can sit on benches under shady trees for hours without noticing how much time has passed.

Ice cream in the city

We have already shown 7 + 5 super places in our previous lists of ice cream shops in the city. You can read more about these classic or up-and-coming spots here.

Secret but visitable inner courtyards

It is beautiful and much easier to walk into a quiet inner courtyard to cool off than to opt for the many other ways to cool off. You can freely visit the original wooden block-covered Unger House (Múzeum körút 7) between the busy Museum Boulevard and Magyar Street, the 19th-century tenement house of János Wagner, also known as Paloma Courtyard (Kossuth Lajos utca 14-16), or the Architect’s Cellar courtyard overgrown with amber in the Palace District (Ötpacsirta utca 2).

Beaches and spas

If time does allow it, what else could we spend time on in the heat than bathing spaces where we can cool our whole body off? There are quite a few well-established beaches in Budapest where you can swim and enjoy the iconic and breathtaking architecture.

Read also16+ lakes in Hungary that are not Lake Balaton, but worth checking out

July 12, 2021

Extreme weather: hail, rainstorms are expected for today!

The rainstorms and hail on Friday devastated many parts of Hungary. There were districts in Budapest where public transport restrictions had to be implemented, but the storm caused damages nationwide worth millions of HUF. To make matters worse, we have bad news for those who thought sunny days were to come.

According to index.hu, it is quite possible that catastrophes will happen today. The Hungarian Meteorological Service (OMSZ) introduced a second-level (orange) warning meaning “severe weather phenomena, which can, eventually, lead to damage, or even cause personal injury or accidents. In case of a warning, be very careful, take care of your safety and your valuables. Follow the news and details of the weather forecast. Follow the advice of reliable media and the instructions of the authorities.”

According to MTI, one should expect sunshine mixed with clouds, downpours, showers, and possible hail in some places. Northern, north-eastern wind is expected where there is rain. Lows: 12, 21°C. Highs: 26, 32°C.

Professionals said that intense rainstorms during which more than 50 mm water might come down in no time are expected everywhere in the country. Of course, everyone should expect ice as well. Here is a video of how huge hailstones came down on Friday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bCXQqMmS2M

Based on current information, the highest chance to have a hailstorm is near the Danube and in the area of Transdanubia. It can happen that the diameter of the ice will be bigger than 5 cm.

The storm devastated Budapest yesterday – will this horrible weather remain? – PHOTO, VIDEO

July 11, 2021

The storm devastated Budapest yesterday – will this horrible weather remain? – PHOTO, VIDEO

Yesterday, rainstorms caused disruptions in many parts of the Hungarian capital. Furthermore, it seems that the stormy, windy weather remains with us. That is bad news for those starting their holiday these days.

According to alon.hu, the Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) said on their Facebook page that in districts 2, 3, 11, 12, 22, as well as in districts 16, 17, and the downtown area, people should prepare for restrictions in transport because of yesterday’s storms.

They highlighted that many trees came down because of the strong wind. For example, that is why bus line number 222 circulates on an alternative route. The same applies to bus line number 124. The Hungarian meteorological service shared a video of how the supercell above Budapest was born. You can watch that below:

https://www.facebook.com/orszagosmeteorologiaiszolgalat/posts/4091254957616968?__cft__[0]=AZUDYr7CzqBBdvDx-NIOSZ0d8wJsKLYzJkwdW7mXwB5qYCVRTy3jq7T6jIGWRZRg4MQjoOc6ej3Wk6s37SxtFswDPKwcDAVfdo5bVzW_cCahhqfdD2kylokv8yK_hZVNJ4wRf-T1wkeuiJ_tZzHQbQejDKxCbjzkrMyqjbIQJdyYxg&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

In the case of district 21, Csepel, buses and cars cannot circulate because of the never-before-seen amount of water that came down in just minutes on Friday afternoon. Nationwide, emergency management received 84 calls yesterday, most of them from Budapest and Komárom-Esztergom County. Dozens of chimneys and roofs were damaged.

Here is another video about yesterday’s supercell:

Regarding the expected weather for today, idokep.hu said that, despite short sunny periods, one should expect showers and rainstorms everywhere in the country. Moreover, there is a significant chance of stronger storms. The wind is expected to be strong only near rainstorms. Maximums will be around 27-32 degrees Celsius.

Has the weather gone crazy? Winter leaves with 20°C in some places and with snow in others

July 10, 2021

Heat alert issued from Wednesday in Hungary

A “level three” heat alert will be in effect in Hungary from early Wednesday until Friday midnight, as maximum temperatures are expected to exceed 27 degrees on all three days, the national health and disaster management authorities have said.

The alert has been issued based on data available from national weather service OMSZ and the recommendations of the National Public Health Centre (NNK).

The heat alert comes with advice to drink plenty, avoid sun between 11am and 3pm and to protect skin.

Weather forecast for Wednesday

Mostly sunny and hot with patches of clouds. Fresh southerly, south-easterly winds.

Lows: 14, 21 C.

Highs: 32, 38 C.

Heatwave to return to Hungary next week + tips to keep cool

Read alsoSpringtime frost killed Hungarian peach and apricot pálinka?

July 6, 2021

Heatwave to return to Hungary next week + tips to keep cool

You might have felt a great relief over the past few days after the scorching temperatures of the previous week, but do not get too comfortable as from Tuesday the heatwave is set to return to Hungary.

According to the figures on the National Meteorological Institute, daytime temperatures will again reach 32-37 degrees by Thursday, with some hot nights of 21-23 degrees in some parts of the country. The good news, however, is that this will only last until Friday, when some cool air will reach us from the west.

Temperatures in the high of 30’s are not totally unusual for Hungary during the summer, but the past few years have brought some extreme highs, including the absolute record of 40 degrees measured on the 23^rd of June in Fülöpháza. Persistent heat is most dangerous for children, the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, but

even those who are fit and healthy can easily be affected by these extreme high temperatures.

It is important then, to remind ourselves of some very useful tips that help us keep cool.

See just a few below:

Between 11 am and 3 pm avoid direct sunlight and, if possible, avoid heavy physical work during this time, too.
Drink plenty of liquids, mainly water. Avoid too much caffeine and alcohol. You might have already heard, that hot drinks help better to cool down the body, so have a hot tea if you struggle with the heat.
Avoid heavy and greasy food, or anything rich in sugar, such as sugary drinks.
Wear loose, comfortable clothing made from natural fabric.
Take cooling showers during the day, or just before bed, and go to bed with wet hair.
Keep your home cool, by having your blinds and windows shut during daytime, only opening them during night-time to create a cooling draft. If you don’t have airconditioning at home, make one your own by placing a bowl with ice cubes and cold water, or frozen plastic water bottles in front of a ventilator.
Pay attention to things in your car. Do not leave disinfectants, firelighters or other flammable solutions inside the car, as these can easily catch fire in the high heat.

If you see children or pets locked inside a vehicle, call 112 immediately!

And last but not least: watch out for those around you and offer help if you can.

Beyond the baths: these are the best public beaches around Budapest

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July 4, 2021

Springtime frost killed Hungarian peach and apricot pálinka?

80 per cent fewer peaches are growing this year than average, and spring frosts have caused significant damage, according to the National Chamber of Agriculture (NAK) survey. Climate change is an increasing threat, and in the long run, the establishment of new, more resilient plantations, the optimisation of variety use, and the spread of modern cultivation methods cannot be avoided.

Farmers were able to report the April frost damage until May 17, said the Secretary of State for Agriculture and Rural Development at the Ministry of Agriculture (MoD) to Portfolio.hu.

As it turns out, peach and apricot yields are severely threatened this year.

NAK co-organised a peach trade meeting and variety presentation on June 25, 2021, in Torda, together with the Agricultural Genetic Resources Directorate (NÉBIH-MGEI) of the National Food Chain Safety Agency. Here, information was provided to farmers on modern variety use, treatment options for frost-damaged plantations, and modern cultivation systems.

Dr Béla Mártonffy, President of the National Department of Horticulture and Supplier Industry of NAK, emphasised:

Peach cultivation can be successful in Hungary, but only if the work is done in the right place, with the right variety and the right growing technology. Long-term global climate change is also a serious challenge for the horticultural sector, requiring the planting of more resilient fruit varieties. […]
Due to the extreme weather, it would be topical to rethink cultivation, to include varieties customary to the domestic climate, from which the varieties produced are better suited to domestic conditions.

The annual yield, which is strongly influenced by weather conditions, fluctuates, usually between 16 and 45 thousand tonnes. Most of the peach orchards are located in Csongrád (1,294 hectares), Pest (450 hectares), and Bács-Kiskun (394 hectares) counties. Significant production also takes place in Fejér (128 hectares), Somogy (136 hectares), Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg (174 hectares), and Heves (169 hectares) counties.

In Hungary, peach cultivation flourished in the 1970s when the area of commodity-producing peach orchards was about 13,000 hectares, which has been steadily declining since then and is now just over 3,000 hectares. Another problem is that the majority of the plantations are characterised by an outdated cultivation system and variety range. There are few new plantings, only a few 100 hectares in recent years.

In the coming years, the government will provide an outstanding amount of resources for the development and increase of the efficiency of agriculture, in the framework of which domestic fruit breeding may be re-strengthened, which is also called for by NAK. The renewal of the plantations is also supported by a large-scale tender, which also supports the establishment of new plantations and the replacement of existing ones.

Read alsoSpringtime frost killed Hungarian peach and apricot pálinka?

July 4, 2021

Hungarian president committed to fighting against climate change

Crises related to water, global warming and changes in public health conditions are following one another increasingly fast, Hungarian President János Áder said in his address to a UN online conference focusing on sustainability in a post-Covid 19 world, on Friday.

The conference was opened by Han Seung-soo, past president of the UN General Assembly session, Volkan Bozkir, President of the UN General Assembly, and Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General. In his speech, Áder noted that the issues of floods, water shortage and water pollution have been eclipsed by the coronavirus pandemic over the past one and a half years while security threats related to climate change and the water crisis have increased.

Damage caused by natural disasters had further increased last year to total 300 billion dollars,

the Hungarian president said, adding that the prices of basic foodstuffs in the global markets had gone up by 40 percent. “This all goes to show that the topic of today’s conference is all the more important, since it concerns our future,” he said.

Highlighting conclusions drawn from the experience of the coronavirus pandemic and natural disasters, Ader said that water, climate change and public health related crises follow one another in a domino effect.

Global efforts are necessary to speed up prevention which is more effective than tackling the consequences of a crisis.

The president stressed the need to adapt to the new situation, develop water-related infrastructure, and invest in science and technology research which can help develop in a record time a vaccine in the case of another pandemic.

Áder highlighted measures Hungary had taken in the fields of adaptation and prevention. He noted the installation of a monitoring system for the early projection of droughts, the expansion of the country’s flood protection system and the central bank’s drafting of a financial regulatory system to support investments aimed at enhancing sustainability. He noted that Hungary was among the first countries in the world to incorporate sustainability class in the national curriculum. In connection with the pandemic, the president noted the regime introduced to monitor waste water for the traces of coronavirus which allows to locate “a surge” of infections seven to ten days in advance.

The Hungarian president closed his address by underscoring the importance of international cooperation, noting the work of the UN’s Water and Climate Leaders’ Panel he is also a member of.

Climate protection: PM Orbán holds propaganda speeches instead of acting

June 26, 2021

Red warning issued in Hungary due to extreme heat! – Weather forecast

This week, an extreme heatwave can be expected in Hungary with peak values close to 40°C degrees in several places. Accordingly, a red warning has been issued in most parts of Hungary until Thursday morning.

The red warning came into effect on Monday morning because the National Meteorological Service forecasts that the average daily temperature will exceed 27°C in most parts of Hungary in the upcoming days. However, a slight cooling is expected over the weekend. Besides extreme temperatures, minor thunderstorms can also be expected in some parts of the country.

On Monday, we can enjoy plenty of sunshine with no precipitation, except for the north-eastern part of the country, where there is a slight chance of local showers and thunderstorms. In addition to the waterfront and downtown areas, extreme temperatures are expected in the Northern Transdanubian region. As Szeretlek Magyarország reports, during the day, the air heats up to 33-37°C.

The sunny weather will stay with us on Tuesday and Wednesday as well. Showers, thunderstorms and stormy wind may occur near the north-eastern border on Tuesday and the north-eastern, western borders on Wednesday. The minimum temperature will be between 16 and 23°C, with peak values of 32-38°C expected on both days. In the middle of the week, the heatwave continues to intensify.

On Monday morning, a red warning was issued for several parts of the country due to the extreme heat, as well as a yellow alarm for half the country due to thunderstorms.

As the Hungarian news portal, Helló Magyar, reports, the warning intends to draw society’s attention to the special situation. Therefore, the Secretary of State asks everyone to call the regional dispatch service if they see a person in trouble during the extreme heat.

Extreme weather conditions are forecasted on Thursday and Friday as well, with a lot of sunshine, sporadic showers, thunderstorms and stormy wind in some parts of the country. On Thursday, the highest temperature can be expected in the country’s southeastern part with a maximum of 39°C. On Friday, the minimum temperature will be between 15 and 23°C, and the peak is expected to be between 29 and 37°C. The hottest temperatures can be expected in the eastern and northeastern parts of the country.

On Saturday, milder temperatures are forecasted. Despite a lot of sunshine and minor thunderstorms, the maximum daily temperature will be 34°C. At the end of the week, several hours of sunshine can be expected, with small showers and thunderstorms in some parts of the country. During the day, the air heats up to 27-36 degrees.

According to allergists, the next period can be difficult for allergy sufferers due to the extreme heat that can intensify allergy symptoms.

In the following weeks, grass pollens and in the second half of July, weed pollens such as ragweed pollen will spread intensively. Based on recent surveys, the number of people with allergies has doubled in the past five years, and today 30-40% of the population produces allergic symptoms. Thus, in addition to the extreme temperatures, it is worth getting prepared for a strong pollen season this summer.

Read alsoClimate concerns still on public’s mind during pandemic

June 21, 2021

Is Hungarian honey in trouble?

The beekeeping season has just started, but you can already predict what kind of a season it will be. Honey production is even more important this year, as its immune-boosting effect may help fight the coronavirus epidemic.

The weather has a huge impact on honey production. The quantity, quality, and price of the honey produced also depend on the weather, writes napi.hu. Honey can strengthen our immune system, treat an existing disease, and flavour our food. Honey contains a lot of vitamins, minerals, and natural antibiotics. Because of these advantages, it is a well-loved product worldwide.

2021 has not been favourable to beekeeping so far.

“Rapeseed bloomed nicely this year, but the cool, rainy weather prevented the bees from spreading it, with fewer bees leaving the hive. Acacia is mostly frozen, we don’t expect a lot of honey from it either, so it’s likely to become more commercially expensive. We are still optimistic about sunflower, wild tobacco, and linden, as they will bloom later. We make mixed flower honey from these plants, which is otherwise slightly cheaper than variety honey, such as acacia honey,” said István Kónya, a beekeeper and honey producer.

Kónya said that between 15-30 thousand tonnes of Hungarian honey were produced every year, made by 1.2 million bee families of twenty thousand beekeepers. In Hungary, the per capita honey consumption is 0.9 kg per year. According to Kónya, it would be important to increase domestic honey consumption.

Honey has many positive effects on our health.

Honey increases the amount of haemoglobin in our body and helps the absorption of Calcium. It can also cure respiratory illnesses and infections. It can help with insomnia, insect bites, colds, as well as infected wounds. Honey contains many useful vitamins and minerals, such as Calcium, Magnesium, vitamins B1, B2, B4, C, and K.

According to Kónya, the weather is not conducive to honey production. Due to the cold and heavy rain, we can expect less honey this year, which will bring with it a rise in prices. However, the problem is even greater. Bees are dying worldwide. Hellovidek reports that more than 75% of the global food production depends on domestic and wild bee populations.

June 13, 2021

Hungarian police officer saves life on his day off

The Hungarian police have posted a story on their Facebook page about one of their officers saving the life of an elderly woman who had been lying helplessly on the ground with a serious compound fracture and heavy bleeding.

Index reported about the story that the officer who found the helpless elderly woman was Mihály Pálfi from the Kiskunhalas Police Headquarters. The Hungarian police also posted it on their Facebook page. He was enjoying his day off when his phone rang.

He answered the phone, and a man told him in a worried voice that his wife had gone somewhere but had not come back for hours.

“I was helping my wife, a professional hunter, at the border of the village when the phone rang. It was an elderly man, Péter, whom I have know pretty closely. Péter told me that his wife had been missing for hours,” Mihály said to 24.

The police officer told the worried husband that it will take them a while to get back to the village, but he is going to go and help him.

He told the elderly man that he should also start looking for her around the village.

“As we were heading back to the village in the car with my wife, approximately 3 kilometres from the village, we heard the screams of an elderly woman through the pulled-down car windows.

We looked down the hillside and saw the woman who was waving with her umbrella. We immediately went over to her, and she was in a very bad condition.

She had a compound femur fracture with the bone sticking out, piercing through her trousers, and she was heavily bleeding,” Mihály recounted the events.

When Mihály and his wife found the 74-year-old woman, she had been lying there helplessly in the rain for four to five hours. She was completely soaked and cold.

“We covered her with our jackets and sweaters to keep her warm until the ambulance arrived. We were about 3 kilometres from the road, and it was hard to explain our exact location. I told the dispatcher to send the ambulance to the nearby gas station and I went there to lead them to the spot while my wife stayed with the woman,” Mihály reported the events to 24.

The elderly woman later said that she got tired and when she arrived at the hill, she lost her balance and fell. She spent four to five hours in the rain.

Mihály and his wife found her at the last moment, saving her life.

The elderly couple later thanked the police officer and his wife for their help in a letter.

Read alsoHungarians gone mad? Couple had sex on a playground in broad daylight – VIDEO

May 26, 2021

Extraordinary climate phenomenons recorded in Hungary this weekend! – VIDEOS

The extreme spring weather brought special climate phenomenons for the weekend of Pentecost all across Hungary.

As we previously reported, the temperatures in April were rather winter-like in Hungary, with intensive wind and snowfall. One month later, the extreme weather has even brought some unique natural phenomenons as well, including two larger supercells in the middle of the Great Plain, accompanied by hail and thunderstorms.

Supercell is also referred to as a rotating thunderstorm that is characterised by the presence of a mesocyclone. According to Wikipédia, the special weather phenomenon tends to last 2-4 hours and can dominate the local weather up to 32 kilometres away.

This spring’s extreme weather conditions have brought two larger supercells to Hungary, that can be checked in the following video.

Furthermore, in the early afternoon, a smaller supercell also occurred in the Transdanubian area that came from the Croatian border and has almost reached the area of Szeged.

As the Hungarian meteorological portal Időkép reports, thanks to the fast-moving cold front, the atmospheric conditions were favourable for forming the supercells. Then, the two supercells running next to each other headed east and reached several cities in the Hungarian Great Plain with heavy rains and hail.

The thunderstorms broke out trees and branches in several parts of the country.

storm tree — *Photo: www.facebook.com/orszagosmeteorologiaiszolgalat/ (Nemes Attila, Tiszakécske)*

Meanwhile, in the western part of Hungary, locals could enjoy the view of such colourful rainbows.

May 25, 2021

Basic food items sold for drastic prices in Hungary

With a few exceptions, the price of basic food items and raw materials needed for their production has risen sharply in Hungary. The reason is twofold: the coronavirus epidemic and the weather.

At least, this conclusion can be drawn from the market reports of the Institute of Agricultural Economics published in April, writes Portfolio.

Top price increase came in 2021

The institute collected the prices of basic food items on the Budapest wholesale market. Some examples include:

The prices of egg and meat are rising;
The average producer price of raw milk is 4 per cent higher than last year;
The price of buttercream increased by 7%, kefir by 4%, and cottage cheese by 3%;
A kilogram of Hungarian 47-57 mm cherry tomatoes costs around HUF 685 (~EUR 1.89), while the tomato from Spain is sold for HUF 587 (~EUR 1.62). The former is priced 5%, the latter 44% higher than a year ago;
The producer price of domestic spring onions increased by 11%, that of the imported product did not change;
Imported strawberries cost HUF 1,000-1,300 (~EUR 3.59) per kilogram, but the very early-grown domestic strawberries are also available, sold for HUF 3,500 per kilogram (~EUR 9.66), which is significantly higher than the same week last year;
Not only the price of strawberries but also the price of domestically grown apples increased, as they exceed the prices typical of a year ago by 20–28%.

There are, of course, a few things that have become cheaper.

For instance, the average price of domestically grown sweet peppers is HUF 680 (~EUR 1.88) per kilogram, which is 10 per cent cheaper than a year ago.

Hungarian cabbage from last year’s harvest was included in the selection for HUF 130 (~EUR 0.36) per kilogram, red cabbage for HUF 180 (~EUR 0.50), and kale for HUF 255 (~EUR 0.70) in the examined week; they are slightly cheaper than last year.

Read alsoDrastic increase expected in the price of Hungarian poultry

April 23, 2021

2020 was Europe’s hottest year on record

Europe experienced its hottest year on record last year, while the Arctic suffered a summer of extreme wildfires partly due to low snow cover as climate change impacts intensified, the European Union’s observation service said on Thursday.

As world leaders prepared to brandish their plans to fight climate change at a U.S.-led summit on Thursday, EU scientists issued a stark reminder that the impacts of a warmer world are already here.

Europe’s average annual temperature in 2020 was the highest on record and at least 0.4 degrees Celsius above the next five warmest years — all of which took place in the last decade, the Copernicus Earth observation service said.

“Temperatures are increasing in all seasons in Europe,” said Freja Vamborg, senior scientist at Copernicus.

It was the hottest winter on record, at 3.4 degrees Celsius above the average European winter temperature seen during 1981-2020. Weather is more variable in winter, so extreme temperatures tend to play out most starkly in that season.

It was also Europe’s warmest autumn, while summer heatwaves were not as intense or prolonged as in recent years, despite pockets of record-breaking heat in places including Scandinavia and France.

Meanwhile, the Arctic saw a “spectacular year”, Vamborg said, pointing to a summer of record-breaking wildfires in Arctic Siberia, which were exacerbated by high temperatures and lower-than-average snow cover.

The average temperature in Arctic Siberia last year broke records by a large margin at 4.3 degrees Celsius above the 1981-2020 average.

Globally, Copernicus Earth said 2020 was one of the world’s three hottest years on record, confirming findings released this week by the World Meteorological Organization.

The EU on Wednesday set a target to slash emissions faster this decade, and the United States is expected to do the same on Thursday, hiking the pressure on countries including China and India. [mL1N2M81NI]

Currently, countries’ combined pledges fall far short of the rapid emissions cuts scientists say are needed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels and stave off the most severe impacts of climate change.

Read also2019 hottest year in Hungary since 1901, says weather service!

April 22, 2021

Hungary’s summers 50 days longer than in seventies

Temperature data of the last five decades show autumn in Hungary is much shorter now than in the 1970s, while spring is somewhat shorter, according to a new meteorological study. Summer, meanwhile, is fifty days longer.

Ecological damage includes more frequent frost damage, fewer migratory birds and the emergence of new invasive species, including mosquito species spreading new pathogens, according to the study released on masfelfok.hu on Tuesday.

Between 1971 and 1980, summer was between June 21 and August 20. In 2011-2019, it lasted from 29 May to 17 September, based on the daily temperature exceeding 17.71 C, Anna Kis, a meteorologist at Eötvös Loránd University’s meteorological faculty said in the study.

Winter, meanwhile, generally shifted to early December from late November and ended seven days earlier.

Autumn shortened to the greatest extent: in the decades before 1990, its average length was around 100 days, but in the three decades following it was less than 85 days.

As we wrote before, the weather is completely unpredictable. Over the course of a few days, the temperature dropped significantly in Hungary as well. On last Thursday, snowfall and frost were reported in several areas of Hungary. The April cold is not only dangerous for our health but also for the vegetation, read more: Did the April snow kill Hungarian pálinka making?

Winter has come in Hungary in April, will it remain? – PHOTOS, VIDEOS

Read alsoHungarian wine and wine regions in danger?

April 13, 2021