Disaster response officials said the situation was changing from one minute to the next on Tuesday evening, but that the situation could return to normal by Thursday.

Nearly 13,000 consumers were left without electricity in 31 villages Tuesday evening.

Repairs to electricity lines around Budapest could take months, electricity grid manager Mavir warned.

Fire-fighters were frantically working to remove fallen trees in Pest, Borsod and Szolnok counties.

The Kistarcsa hospital was powered by a reserve generator after the electricity supply was cut off.

Nagykovácsi was closed to the outside world all day yesterday, as falling trees blocked the only road from Buda.

Mayor Zoltán Pokorni of the 12th District again urged local residents to stay home if possible.

Elsewhere, a train was stranded for ten hours on the Budapest-Szolnok railway line.

In Mogyoród electricity was out in 75% of the village Tuesday morning, affecting 1,000 residents, and classes were cancelled. Beds were taken for the night to the local cultural centre to allow residents to sleep in warm conditions.

There was no electricity supply to Dobogókõ and another 18 villages.

Source: Hungary Around the Clock

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