Peak temperatures rose above 40 degrees Celsius in several locations on Sunday, with 40.7 degrees Celsius recorded in Budakalasz, near Budapest, which surpassed the previous daily record of 39.9 degrees Celsius set on the same day in Szarvas, in central Hungary, in 1935, the weather service said.

The 40.6 degrees Celsius recorded in Ujpest, in northern Budapest, during the afternoon broke the capital’s previous record for the highest daily maximum temperature of 39.5 degrees Celsius set in 1935.

At the Janos-hegy station in Budapest, the air cooled to only 26.1 degrees Celsius at dawn, setting a new record for the highest daily minimum temperature in both the capital and the country.

The previous record holder for the capital was Budapest’s Lagymanyos station, which recorded a daily minimum of 22.2 degrees Celsius on the same day in 2017, while the previous national record was held by Szarvas, which recorded 23.6 degrees Celsius in 1935.

Over 130,000 Litres of Drinking Water Distributed in Hungary Over Weekend



Efforts to combat the heat continued throughout the weekend, with more than 130,000 litre of drinking water distributed at more than 400 locations nationwide, and misting stations set up at 722 locations, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Monday.

Restrictions on water use were announced in 110 municipalities, and firefighters had to respond to more than 350 outdoor fires over the weekend, Magyar said in a video posted on Facebook.

A report from the national hospital directorate showed that no scheduled surgery was canceled over the weekend.

Air conditioning systems malfunctioned in five intensive care units, and repairs began immediately, he said. He added that several hospitals, including the National Institute of Oncology, are experiencing disruptions due to the failure to carry out previously scheduled maintenance on their air conditioning systems.

Health Minister Zsolt Hegedus is in constant contact with the hospitals, and the government is providing all possible support to resolve the malfunctions as soon as possible, Magyar said.

Magyar said speed limits were in effect on 25 railway lines across the state raiways MAV network due to the extreme heat, and thousands of bottles of mineral water were distributed to motorists stuck in traffic jams on the M1 and M7 highways.

Tens of thousands of people attended outdoor events throughout the country over the weekend, and the Hungarian armed forces supplied drinking water, including 14,000 bags of drinking water to participants of the Pride march in Budapest.

The daily heat record was broken on Sunday, with a temperature of 40.7 degrees Celsius measured in Budakalasz, near Budapest, and the extreme heat has not yet ended, he said.

As a result, working from home has been mandated wherever possible in the public sector for Monday and Tuesday, and all employers were asked to allow the possibility of remote work or reduced working hours if possible, he added.

He asked restaurants and other food service providers to offer a glass of drinking water and, if necessary, access to restrooms for anyone in need over the next few days, and he also requested that churches, public institutions, and air-conditioned facilities remain open for the next two days.

MTI Stock Photo

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.

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