Hot in Hungary

Spring warmth spreads record breaking heat across central and Eastern Europe.

Hot and Hungary
Spring warmth spreads record breaking heat across central and Eastern Europe [EPA]

Europe has been split in two over the past few days. Not politically, but meteorologically.

Western parts have felt the brunt of some very wet and, at times, windy weather.

Just over a week ago, temperatures were into the upper 20s Celsius. We are now seeing highs struggling to reach double figures.

It begs the question of where the heat has gone. The answer is that it has drifted over Central and Eastern Europe.

The anticyclone that dominates the weather currently lies over the Balkans.

It has dragged warm southerly winds from the Mediterranean to the Baltic states.

Here, the skies are clear, and as the increasingly strong spring sunshine gathers strength, temperatures have rocketed upward.

None more so than in Hungary where records have been broken.

They had their warmest April night on record.

The temperature in Sandorfalva, in the southeast of the country, did not fall below 18.7C. The previous low was 17.4C in Budapest set in 1966.

This warm start to the day led to a new daytime high.

The Hungarian Meteorological Service measured 31.4C in Kelebia and Satorhely (in the south of the country, near the Serbian and Croatian border).

This April will be the warmest since 1800. It sets up a warm start to May and there is no real end in sight to the current heatwave with temperatures remaining in the upper 20s well into next week.

Source: Al Jazeera