Hungary faces deep soil drought despite recent rainfall

Recent rainfall in Hungary has provided temporary relief to the surface soil, but deep-layer drought remains a critical concern for agriculture. According to HungaroMet, a Mediterranean cyclone brought 15–35 mm of precipitation across much of the country, with some areas near Lake Balaton exceeding 40 mm. While the top 10–30 cm of soil is now saturated, deeper layers still face an extreme water deficit, with only 10–25 percent of usable water available for plants. This follows a period where precipitation was 100–160 mm below the long-term average.

Looking ahead to the winter season, the Copernicus Climate Change Service predicts a likely shift toward milder and wetter conditions. There is an 80–90 percent probability that the upcoming winter in Hungary will be warmer than average. Precipitation levels are also expected to exceed seasonal averages, with a 70–80 percent probability for eastern Hungary and 60–70 percent for the western regions.