Heat wave and severe thunderstorms hit Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic

Temperatures across Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic rose to 30‑35 °C on July 15‑16, prompting orange heat alerts in most Hungarian counties and a second‑order heat warning for several Slovak districts. Meteorological services warned that lightning is the primary danger, with hail, strong gusts of 60‑80 km/h and intense rain expected. In Hungary, HungaroMet issued a first‑level warning for widespread thunderstorms, noting possible localized flooding and wind‑driven damage. Slovakia’s ziMeteo.sk forecasted “tropical” heat above 30 °C, high humidity and a wave of severe storms. The Czech Republic recorded over 50 mm of rain in Prague and up to 30 mm in Brno, accompanied by hail up to 3 cm and a supercell that caused roof damage, downed trees and power‑line failures in Brno, Prušánky and surrounding areas. Authorities advised the public to stay alert for lightning, hail and sudden heavy rain, while a cooling front is expected to arrive later in the week.