Hungary's Danube hits historic low as drought deepens

Hungary’s Danube has fallen to record‑low levels amid a prolonged heat wave and severe drought. Measurements on Thursday showed the river at 25 cm in Baja, breaking the previous low of 27 cm recorded in 2018. In Budapest the water stood at 39 cm, only 6 cm above the all‑time minimum, while Paks recorded –95 cm, just above its historic low. Other sites such as Esztergom reported negative readings (–11 cm) and the Danube’s flow rate in Romania dropped to a 30‑year low of 1 750 m³/s.

The low water has immediate impacts: a riverside beach in Baja was closed, a decades‑old shipwreck reappeared, and navigation had to be altered, with Mahart‑PassNave suspending several hop‑on‑hop‑off routes and avoiding the Margitsziget stop. Near the Paks nuclear plant, river temperature rose above 25 °C, approaching thresholds for operational safety. Water shortages extend to lakes such as Velence and Balaton, prompting authorities to consider additional conservation measures.

Officials attribute the situation to a combination of record‑breaking heat, lack of precipitation, and long‑term riverbed deepening from sand and gravel extraction. Budapest’s mayor warned that without changes to water‑use habits, conditions could worsen, and the city is planning increased tree planting and water‑retention projects.