BUDAPEST, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- August 2026 was the hottest month recorded in Hungary since 1901, with the nationwide average temperature reaching 24.9 degrees Celsius, the country's meteorological service HungaroMet said on Wednesday.
The figure was 3.7 degrees above the 1991-2020 average for August of 21.2 degrees Celsius, making it both the hottest August and the hottest month recorded in Hungary since 1901, HungaroMet said.
The record heat was accompanied by exceptionally dry conditions. Preliminary data showed that nationwide average precipitation last month was just 15.6 millimeters, compared with the 1991-2020 August average of 59.5 millimeters. It was the fourth-driest August nationwide since 1901, according to HungaroMet.
The prolonged drought has also weighed on agriculture. Data released by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office on Tuesday showed that the value added of agriculture fell 12.4 percent year on year in the second quarter due to severe drought.
Low water levels on the Danube also sharply curtailed electricity generation at the Paks nuclear power plant in early August, forcing three of its four units to shut down. The government subsequently took emergency measures to raise water levels near the facility and help secure its cooling-water supply.
