Latest news with #MÁVINFORM
Euronews
17-07-2025
- Climate
- Euronews
Climate researcher: Hungary's extreme weather due to global heating
A climate researcher has attributed severe thunderstorms that struck Hungary last week to climate change. Péter Szabó, an environmental historian, told Euronews that the frequency and intensity of heatwaves in the country has increased, alongside severe rainstorms. "We can clearly see from the numbers that the frequency and intensity of heat waves has increased. So they are lasting longer and temperatures are higher," he said. "In parallel, the frequency of thunderstorms seems to be increasing. And the length and intensity of droughts is also increasing. This is clearly due to climate change." He added that the Balkans and Hungary are experiencing the effects of global warming faster than other locations in Europe, with higher temperatures causing significant damage to Hungarian agriculture. Last week, severe thunderstorms forced the closure of Budapest international airport after debris from storms was blown across the runway. The departures hall in Terminal 2A was partially flooded and the building was evacuated as winds of up to 130 kph uprooted trees and tore roofs from buildings. Imre Dóka, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Directorate, told Euronews his agency had never received so many alerts and had to intervene in twice as many places as during major storms that battered the country in 2023. "Due to the storms that have passed over the past few days, firefighters had to respond in 12,000 locations. This included fallen trees, downed branches and damage to buildings," he explained. The gale also impacted the national railway network with the country's main operator, MÁVINFORM, no longer showing journey times on the North Balaton line due to overhead line faults. In a statement, MÁVINFORM said that gale-force winds of 150-170 kph on the northern shore of Lake Balaton had blown down the overhead line, while on the southern shore trees had fallen onto the track, damaging power lines.
Euronews
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Euronews
Public transport disrupted in Hungary as storms batter eastern Europe
Severe thunderstorms hit Hungary on Monday forcing the closure of the main international airport in the capital Budapest after debris had been blown across the runways. The departures hall in Terminal 2A was partially flooded and the building was evacuated but no injuries were reported, the airport said in a statement. "All passenger check-in is taking place at Terminal 2B. The storm has also affected the surrounding roads, please be advised of any traffic changes before departure," airport authorities said, adding that damage assessment is underway. According to Flightradar, several flights scheduled to arrive in Budapest had to be diverted and land elsewhere. A Ryanair flight from Prague was diverted to Bratislava and the airport said several aircraft have been circling the airport waiting for a landing slot. They warned that flight cancellations cannot be ruled out. The storm also affected the national railway network with MÁVINFORM reporting longer journey times on the North Balaton line due to overhead line faults and replacement bus services in place between Balatonfüred and Szabadbattyán. In a statement, MÁVINFORM said that gale-force winds of 150-170 km/h on the northern shore of Lake Balaton had blown down the overhead line, while on the southern shore trees had fallen onto the track, damaging power lines. They added that the National Emergency Centre had immediately deployed around 50 to 60 buses to ensure passengers could get to their destinations and that experts were working to repair the faults. Serbia The country's meteorological office, the Republic Hydrometeorological Institute of Serbia (RHMZ) issued a severe weather warning on Monday for Belgrade, mountainous areas in the southeast and Vojvodina. Rain and thunderstorms were forecast, and Bačka and central and northern Banat saw intense storms with hail and strong winds. Shortly after 2 pm, gale force winds and heavy rain hit Zrenjanin, a correspondent for state television RTS said. The wind brought down branches from trees and caused minor flooding on some roads. Manholes and drains were clogged with leaves that had been blown by the wind. At around 2:15 pm, Subotica was hit by a thunderstorm. RHMZ said that sunny, warm weather is expected to return to most parts of the country by the end of the day, with thunderstorms most likely to continue in the north and west. Croatia A strong storm lashed the Croatian coast and moved inland, reaching the country's east. The State Hydrometeorological Institute (DHMZ) issued its highest red warning level for the Osijek region, which indicates extremely dangerous weather. A message has also been sent to residents in the area, warning of stormy and hurricane-force winds. The Vukovar-Srijem Police Department received 30 reports of damage caused by the storm but no injuries. While the national electric grid warned of the possibility of reduced voltage in some parts of Županja. Slovenia And rainfall that hit Slovenia overnight has eased but is expected to intensify again by the evening. The national meteorological service Arso issued an orange warning for the entire country for Monday due to possible heavy rains with hail, gusts of wind and lightning. A new, more pronounced wave of precipitation is expected to hit the country on Tuesday night, when local storms are again possible. The heaviest rainfall is expected to be in the west and northern areas.
