Heat wave

Hungary has just seen an unusual early-morning cold record fall, with 4.6°C measured in Lénárddaróc at 5 AM, according to the meteorological service. But the relief will be short-lived, because a new and intense heatwave is expected to build quickly over the coming days.Sunday should still bring relatively fresh mornings, though daytime temperatures will already rise above 30°C across a wide area. By the second half of next week, much hotter air is forecast to arrive.The outlook suggests that from the first days of August, temperatures above 35°C are likely to return. HungaroMet has also shown a forecast indicating that in Szeged there is a more than 20 per cent chance of temperatures climbing above 40°C during the first week of August.The current pattern points to no clear end to the hot spell yet. That means Hungary could be heading into a prolonged period of extreme summer weather rather than a brief burst of heat.The main message is straightforward: the brief cool spell is over, and much hotter weather is coming back fast. Even if the exact peak shifts slightly, the overall direction is clear, with Hungary once again likely to sit near the top of the European temperature charts.For readers, that means the next few days are the time to prepare for extreme heat rather than enjoy a long-lasting break from it.