BUDAPEST, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian authorities declared a top-level heat alert across the country on Thursday which will last till next Tuesday as another intense heatwave grips the nation, heightening health risks and worsening severe drought conditions.
The highest-level heat alert was issued jointly by the national meteorological service HungaroMet, the public health authority, and the disaster management agency.
Authorities warned of severe health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups, and advised the public to stay hydrated, avoid midday heat, and check on elderly neighbors. Firefighters have also called for extreme caution after responding to nearly 100 outdoor vegetation fires per day in recent weeks.
The heatwave compounds an extraordinary drought that has reduced water levels in rivers and lakes to historic lows. Lake Velence has seen large areas of its bed exposed, while the Danube River dropped to a record low of 23 centimeters in depth in Budapest on Wednesday before recovering slightly to 26 centimeters on Thursday.
The dropping Danube levels have disrupted operations at the Paks nuclear power plant. It will be shut down completely on Thursday or Friday
for safety reasons, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Thursday.
He stated the measures were precautionary, assuring that power supply remains secure via imports and grid coordination. He announced the creation of an energy supply operational unit to draw up contingency plans, which could include temporary restrictions on heavy industrial users if the drought worsens. Essential services like hospitals will remain exempt.
This latest extreme weather follows a record-breaking heatwave in late June, when temperatures reached an all-time high of 42 degrees Celsius in Hungary. ■
