Hungary has asked public sector employees to work at home if possible since June 29, when a severe heatwave engulfed the country, leading to emergency measures including water restrictions, railway speed limits and medical recommendations.
Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced that public sector agencies will switch to remote work anywhere operationally feasible, and called on private employers to apply similar agreements. Authorities also recommend postponing outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day to minimize health risks.
Hungary is still in a third-degree heatwave warning, the country's highest level, with temperatures forecast to reach 35 to 40°C over most of the territory in the coming days.
The national meteorological agency HungaroMet said that the maximum temperature records on June 27 were broken on June 27, when temperatures reached 40.0°C in Budakalasz and 39.8°C in Budapest. The minimum temperature at night also set new records during the day, showing the persistence of extreme heat waves.
Prolonged heat has begun to disrupt public services and infrastructure. Government officials said speed limits are still in effect on 25 railway lines due to extreme temperatures, while broken water pipes have temporarily disrupted supply to hundreds of consumers in Balatonfured and the city of Gyor in the west.
Some cities also impose temporary restrictions on the use of non-essential water after a surge in demand puts increasing pressure on the local water supply network. Residents in affected areas are required to limit garden irrigation, filling pools, car washes and other non-essential water use activities during daytime.
Authorities said that only three cases related to heat waves requiring medical treatment were recorded nationwide as of the evening of June 28, and there were no serious public safety incidents. Hungary is among many Central European countries affected by the heat wave, as Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic also recorded unusually high temperatures at the weekend as extreme heat spread east across the continent. The situation is expected to be reduced in Hungary on July 1 or July 2.
