Hungary records driest January-September period since 1901

Hungary has experienced its driest January-to-September period since 1901. According to HungaroMet Zrt., the country received only 251.7 mm of precipitation during the first nine months of 2026, which is 47 percent below the 1991-2020 average of 471.1 mm.

September was also notably dry and warm, ranking as the seventh driest September in the last 125 years. The national average temperature for the month was 17.7 degrees Celsius, 1.7 degrees higher than the 1991-2020 average of 16.0 degrees. Precipitation in September reached only 15.1 mm nationally, a 74 percent decrease compared to the historical average of 59.1 mm.

Regional variations were significant, with the Great Plain (Alföld) receiving less than 10 mm of rain in September. While some areas in western Transdanubia saw slightly more moisture, rainfall exceeding 30 mm was limited to small areas such as the Őrség region. Across much of the country, total precipitation for the nine-month period fell 200-300 mm short of typical levels.