[REVISION HISTORY]

Hungary drought and heatwave: energy and water crisis update

Updated 15 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-28 20:31 UTC → 2026-09-05 08:08 UTC · added ~~removed~~

By late August 2026, the environmental and energy crises in Hungary continued to evolve. Lake Velence reached a new historic low on June 20, with the Agárd water gauge recording only 52 centimeters, surpassing the previous record set in September 2022. Dr. Zsombor Boromisza of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences noted that while the lake is naturally shallow and volatile, climate change is expected to increase the frequency of such low-water periods. In the energy sector, the Paks nuclear power plant has begun restoring its production capacity. Following the previous reduction in output due to low Danube water levels, the government initiated works on August 13 to divert more water flow toward the plant’s supply canal. As of late August, production has risen to approximately 1,000 megawatts, with expectations to return to the facility’s maximum 2,000-megawatt capacity shortly. Simultaneously, the Tisza River basin is facing a critical water shortage. Precipitation during the first eight months of the year has reached only about a quarter of the historical average. The usable water reserves of Tisza Lake have been essentially exhausted due to prolonged drought and high evaporation rates. Water levels at Kisköre-felső have approached the 610-centimeter threshold, the minimum value defined in water management operating permits. To mitigate the crisis, authorities are implementing emergency measures, including gradually reducing the Tiszalök dam reservoir level to 400 centimeters to release water to the lower reaches of the river. Previous restrictions on agricultural water use have proven insufficient. In Szolnok, the shortage poses a direct threat to the drinking water supply; officials have deployed mobile pump stations and electric backup units at the city’s surface water intake to ensure continuity. In Lake Balaton, severe drought has led to record-low water levels, leaving large areas of the lakebed dry or muddy.

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