Hungary's heatwaves cause varying excess deaths across regions

Researchers from ELTE's Meteorological Department analysed eleven years of data (2015‑2025) on Hungarian heatwaves and mortality. The study, using weekly figures from the Central Statistical Office and the National Health Insurance Fund, found that excess deaths are not solely linked to the number of heatwave weeks but also to local factors such as health‑care capacity, housing conditions and public preparedness.

Counties with the most heat‑wave weeks were Csongrád‑Csanád, Békés and Bács‑Kiskun. However, the highest excess‑mortality rates were recorded in Tolna (35 %), Baranya (28 %), Jász‑Nagykun‑Szolnok (26 %) and Bács‑Kiskun (25 %). Budapest and Békés each saw about a 24 % increase, while Csongrád‑Csanád, despite being the warmest region, had lower excess deaths, likely due to better adaptation and a higher share of air‑conditioned housing.

The 2024 July heatwave produced a particularly severe impact, with a 34 % rise in deaths in Budapest during a two‑week period. The researchers emphasise that nighttime temperatures and daily average heat are critical for health outcomes, affecting the elderly, chronically ill and young children. They call for strengthened public‑health, social‑service and urban‑planning measures to improve resilience to increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves.