In a short time, emergency services were alerted in nearly 50 areas of Budapest and its suburbs as a result of a severe storm that arrived Monday morning. Several lines of the Budapest Public Transport Company (BKK) had to be cancelled. Meanwhile, a significant wave of flooding on the Danube is expected to reach Hungary around Tuesday or Wednesday.
A severe storm hit the Hungarian capital early Monday morning. Emergency services were alerted to broken branches, flooded basements and garages. Several lines of the Budapest Public Transport Company (BKK) are currently out of service, including the No. 4 and 6 streetcars on the Grand Boulevard (Nagykörút), one of the most central and busiest parts of Budapest.
In addition, numerous traffic lights do not work, the underpass at Nyugati Square has been flooded and the lights there have also been turned off. Several trains to and from Budapest are running with a delay of 10-20 minutes. As a result of the storm that took place the day before eight buildings were damaged, in 43 cases basements and ground floors were flooded.
With the exception of the counties of Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, the hurricane affected all regions of Hungary. In the municipality of Joschwafö in Borsod County, the Baradla River burst its banks, forcing local residents, together with the fire department, to install five thousand sandbags.
The Hungarian Meteorological Service (OMSZ) declared a first-degree yellow hazard level for Monday due to the severe weather, but as a result of cloud cover, a second-degree orange hazard level is in effect in most counties of the country.
While most rivers in Western Europe are already receding, a huge wave of flooding is approaching Hungary along the Danube. It is forecast to reach the country around Tuesday or Wednesday. While the level of the Danube at Komarom and Esztergom is first degree ready, it could reach second degree at Nagybaic, where there is first degree ready until further notice.
In the Slovak capital, Bratislava, the water level has risen by one meter in a day, where there is currently a first-degree readiness. The events of the coming days will be determined mainly by weather conditions in Austria.
