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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.
makro-gazdasagpolitikaThe next 48 hours could be the most critical period in Hungary’s extreme heatwave, with temperatures potentially reaching 42 degrees Celsius. The government has reserved the right to implement measures to reduce consumption, and may also impose mandatory restrictions if necessary. A cold front is expected to arrive on Friday, which could bring some relief.
makro-gazdasagpolitikaAround 2:00 AM on Tuesday, the Paks Nuclear Power Plant was close to shutting down completely, but the rising water level of the Danube prevented this. The plant’s last, 240 megawatt turbine is operating stably, which could also facilitate the restart of other blocks. On Monday, the government implemented emergency measures to address the energy crisis, withdrew from the purchase of the Zugló office complex, announced important personnel changes, and outlined new economic policies.
makro-gazdasagpolitikaOn the day of Vladimir Putin’s visit to Siberia, fuel prices were drastically reduced in Krasnoyarsk, and then immediately restored to their previous high levels the following day. This Patyomkin-esque measure was not an isolated incident: it also happened in Irkutsk just over a week earlier, during the presidential visit.
makro-gazdasagpolitikaFederal judges in the United States blocked the Trump administration from freezing approximately $20 billion in clean energy funding, even under the Biden administration. The court ruled that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was attempting to terminate the programs and recover the money, citing purely political differences.
makro-gazdasagpolitikaThe government has doubled the amount of wood available through the Social Firewood Program and the corresponding budget, and the state-owned forestry companies have already begun to ensure winter supplies. The VAT on firewood will also decrease from 27% to 5% starting in the fall, which could help approximately one and a half million people in Hungary who use wood for heating.
makro-gazdasagpolitikaThe water level of the Danube at Paks has fallen to -135 centimeters, compared to -140 centimeters in the morning, bringing it just one centimeter below the critical threshold. Meanwhile, the country’s electricity consumption remains 500 megawatts below the planned level, which is approximately equivalent to the output of a complete Paks power plant.
makro-gazdasagpolitikaThe all-time record high temperature was broken in Pozsony: According to data from the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, a temperature of 40.6 degrees Celsius was recorded on Tuesday in the Koliba district.
makro-gazdasagpolitikaA high-level heatwave warning was issued for all 27 major cities in Italy on Thursday, following the further intensification of the fourth heatwave of the year in the country.
makro-gazdasagpolitikaEven in the current period, ozone concentrations near the ground in Hungary are exceeding the target values, and further increases are expected nationwide in the coming days, especially during the warm, sunny afternoon hours – HungaroMet Nonprofit Zrt. pointed out in a Facebook post.
makro-gazdasagpolitikaHotels and spas have implemented energy-saving measures due to the domestic energy situation. The Hungarian Hotels and Restaurants Association has recommended a 4-point package of measures for hotels. In addition, 50 spas and resorts have indicated that they are reducing their energy consumption. Ironically, due to the extreme heat, the number of visitors has increased, especially in spas, while they are saving energy.
makro-gazdasagpolitikaFor more than ten years, MTI journalists have collected directives from top officials that ordered the suppression, alteration, or politically motivated framing of news. The new leadership of the public media has also published a separate selection of 15 pages from the 482-page document collection and has initiated an internal investigation.
makro-gazdasagpolitikaMol is temporarily reducing the capacity of its high-performance electric car chargers.