Our eastern neighbor Hungary is currently experiencing the worst drought since 1901. In the capital Budapest, the level of the Danube has dropped by 150 centimeters in the past three weeks. According to Rijkswaterstaat, the amount of precipitation has halved. This year’s drought has hit farmers in the Puszta particularly hard.
Farmers in the lowlands to the east of our neighboring country should expect a “tragic bad” wheat crop, Tamás Petöházi, president of the National Association of Grain Producers (GOSZ), warned in July. According to the CISZ, grain production in the Puszta is expected to be between two and four tons per hectare this year, which is well below the average of previous years (4.5 to 5 tons).
“This year’s winter was already very dry. In some areas of the Puszta this year, less than half of the usual precipitation fell. There are places where the precipitation deficit is even 150 to 250 millimeters,” explains Klára Kerpely, climate expert at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Hungary.
River level at record low
Water levels in some of Hungary’s major rivers, including the Tisza and Ipoly (Eipel), have fallen to record depths and many smaller lakes have dried up. However, the amount of drinking water depends on the level of the Tisza, the country’s second most important river after the Danube. A number of regional water suppliers are already warning of a shortage and falling water pressure.
Already 660,000 hectares of land burned in the EU this year
In Europe, about 660,000 hectares of land have already been burned by large fires. A record since registration began in 2006, according to recently released data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
