Hungary experienced its driest summer since measurements began in 1901, while average temperatures made 2026 the country’s second-hottest summer on record, according to HungaroMet.
The national average temperature for the summer reached 23.43°C, which was 2.59°C above the 1991-2020 climate average of 20.84°C. Only 2024 was hotter, with a summer average of 23.58°C.
All three summer months were warmer than normal. June was 2.7°C above average, July 1.3°C higher and August 3.7°C above the long-term norm. August became both the hottest August and the hottest individual month in Hungary since the beginning of the 20th century.
Summer rainfall falls to just 74.1 mm
The more extreme development came from rainfall. Hungary received an average of only 74.1 mm of precipitation during summer 2026, equivalent to just 36% of the 1991-2020 average of 203.3 mm.
That was almost 30 mm below the previous record low, set in 1952, when summer rainfall averaged 101.3 mm. Rainfall was below normal in every summer month, falling 45% short of the average in June and 74% below average in both July and August.
Some parts of the country received less than 20 mm
Rainfall was highly uneven geographically. The highest summer precipitation total was measured in Barcs at 230.5 mm, while the lowest was recorded in Nagykőrös at just 19.6 mm.
Across much of central Hungary, summer rainfall remained below 60 mm, while several monitoring stations recorded less than 40 mm. Only limited areas near the southwestern border exceeded 150 mm.
July alone brought an average of only 18.9 mm of rainfall, 74% below the long-term norm of 71.9 mm, making it the fifth-driest July since 1901.
Heatwaves push temperatures above 40°C
The summer was also marked by repeated extreme heat. During the first major heatwave, which lasted from June 20 to July 1, Hungary set a new national absolute temperature record when 42°C was measured in Szécsény on June 30.
A second major heatwave lasted from July 29 to August 17, with temperatures reaching 41.4°C in Budakalász on August 5 and 41.8°C in Kiskunfélegyháza on August 6. Budapest also set a new absolute temperature record of 41.6°C in Újpest on August 6.
By late August, HungaroMet reported that 98% of the country was affected by at least moderate agricultural drought, including 47.1% under severe drought conditions and another 38.5% under high-level drought.
2025 was already one of Hungary’s driest years
The 2026 summer followed another exceptionally dry period. HungaroMet classified 2025 as Hungary’s fourth-driest year since 1901, while its average annual temperature made it the seventh-hottest.
