Today, record-breaking heat is being experienced, but the Danube water level has improved, exceeding Sunday’s low point by nearly 10 centimeters, and one block of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant is operational. A positive development is that Hungary will receive the guaranteed Danube water volume guaranteed in international agreements, while Slovakia is prepared to release some additional water. Many organizations across the country are continuing to conserve energy and water due to the heat. We can continue to follow the developments.
The government has adopted a comprehensive energy development program with an initial budget of 868 billion forints, while maintaining the country’s energy balance and the operation of critical infrastructure during the extreme heat - Prime Minister Magyar Péter announced in a Facebook post following the first day of the two-day government session and the meeting of the defense working group.
A coming days will be critical for Hungary’s energy supply, as the water level in the Danube at Paks is currently at -135 centimeters, just one centimeter below the critical level. If the improvement that began on Tuesday continues, the complete shutdown of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant may be avoided, however, according to Magyar Péter, the next 48 hours will be the most difficult from a heat perspective.
Today was characterized by extreme heat, as the highest ever recorded minimum temperature was reached, and new national and city-level temperature records were also set during the day, according to a HungaroMet post.
The government appointed András Kárán, the Hungarian Minister of Finance, as a representative on the International Monetary Fund’s governing council, as announced in the Magyar Közlöny.
In Budapest, the risk of young trees drying up has emerged due to a ministry announcement that recommended watering restrictions. According to the capital, this could have caused damage worth several million forints. The ministry eventually retracted the announcement, but the incident highlighted the need to reconsider the 30-year watering restrictions during frequent extreme droughts.
In 2026, the area of sunflower cultivation in Hungary will exceed that of corn for the first time, but due to extreme drought and heat waves, farmers face significant crop losses. The lack of rainfall since spring has caused the crops to suffer, and the expected yields will be far below the usual level, which will also lead to earlier harvesting.
The Tisza government has adopted a comprehensive energy development plan, according to a Facebook post by Magyar Péter, the government stated that, among other things, the two-day government meeting on the first day also included decisions on developing energy storage capacities, network development, and investments in wind and geothermal energy, in response to the current energy crisis.
Early in the morning, the water level near Paks reached a critical level close to the limit for shutting down the last turbine, but it started to rise during the day. This morning, a level of -134 centimeters was recorded, putting the threshold for shutdown. In a Facebook post, Peter Magyar mentioned that the turbine continues to operate stably, but warned about the potential for a heatwave, which has reached 43 degrees Celsius, breaking the previous record. A cold front is expected to arrive on Friday, but further warming is expected in the following week. Our article provides continuous updates on the energy crisis, weather, and water issues.
Hungary’s drinking water supply is completely secure, and there is no strategic water shortage in the country. Despite temporary pressure drops caused by increased consumption due to the heat, drinking water supply is continuously ensured, according to a Facebook video published by the government.
In response to the challenges caused by extreme weather, the National Tax and Customs Authority has also introduced energy-saving measures, thereby contributing to the stability of the domestic electricity grid, Finance Minister András Kármán pointed out in a Facebook post.
Slovakia currently cannot significantly increase the amount of water flowing from the Danube into Hungary, according to Slovak Environment Minister Tomás Taraba, who stated that such a step would cause water shortages on the Slovak side within two days.
Nationally, 40 degrees Celsius was the highest temperature, while 43 degrees Celsius was recorded in Budapest on Wednesday afternoon. The chance of rain is zero, according to a quick report published on the kormany.hu website at 16:00 on Wednesday.
Portfolio.hu - Gazdaság·
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