Hungary braces for heat wave and severe thunderstorms with orange alerts

A heat wave is set to hit Hungary next week, with daytime highs expected to reach 32‑37 °C across the country. The warm conditions will be accompanied by increasingly frequent thunderstorms and, in some areas, supercell development.

Meteorological service HungaroMet has issued orange‑level warnings for six southern counties (Baranya, Tolna, Bács‑Kiskun, Csongrád‑Csanád, Somogy and Békés), citing the risk of intense wind gusts up to 80‑100 km/h, large hailstones of 2‑4 cm, and locally heavy rain that could exceed 25‑30 mm. Officials warned that the situation could merit a red‑level alert in the afternoon if conditions worsen.

The forecast also predicts scattered showers and occasional strong west‑northwest winds elsewhere, with temperatures remaining above 20 °C even in the mornings. Residents are advised to follow updates and take precautionary measures against lightning, hail and strong gusts.