Thunderstorm, hail and downpour coming to Hungary: expect extreme headaches

Not what you would call a typical summer weather is coming (again) to Hungary. Many people will experience headaches, concentration problems and fluctuations in blood pressure.

The “battle of air masses”

According to the National Meteorological Service’s (OMSZ) Facebook page, a wavy frontal zone will shape our weather in the coming period, followed by a Mediterranean cyclone over the weekend. Cooler air will move in from the northwest, while hot air will continue to flow in from the southeast.

The “battle” of air masses will be accompanied by sufficient humidity and favourable atmospheric instability conditions. Overall, several waves of showers, thunderstorms and rain are expected.

According to the National Meteorological Service, the wavy frontal system will reach our region from the west, moving only slowly towards the east and southeast.

Expect thunderstorms, winds, hail

On Friday, after a temporary break, thunderstorms are expected from the afternoon hours, mainly in the lowlands and northeastern areas. They will be accompanied by gusty winds (60-90 km/h), hail (2-5 cm) and downpours (25-50, in some places > 50 mm). Severe thunderstorms may also develop, accompanied by damaging wind gusts (> 90 km/h) and hail up to 5 cm.

From Friday evening, a widespread thunderstorm system could arrive from the southwest, with the aforementioned severe weather.

Medical meteorology and the effects of fronts on us

Due to the wavy frontal zone over our area, the weather may be more stressful for those sensitive to cold fronts in the northwest and warm fronts in the rest of the country. Many people may experience headaches, lack of concentration and fluctuations in blood pressure. Greater caution is needed in traffic, as the increased reaction time may indirectly contribute to accidents.

Shocking list about summer heatwaves

For the third year in a row, July was so hot in Hungary that all of them made the list of the 10 hottest July months since 1901, according to the OMSZ.

• July 2021 was the hottest month in Hungary, with a national average of 23.73 degrees Celsius;
• 2022 was the 5th warmest with 23.11 degrees Celsius;
• and this year was the 9th warmest July by a tie with 22.72 degrees Celsius.