The waters of the Danube reached a level not seen in a decade in Budapest on Saturday, lapping at the steps of the parliament, after storm Boris caused flooding in several central European countries.
Swollen waters of the Danube moved south and Hungarian rescue services scrambled to protect populated areas, including Budapest, with sandbags.
In the Hungarian capital, the swollen river flooded the embankment, with water reaching the steps of parliament.
Water levels hovered near the 2013 record before starting to fall on Saturday.
“The last time it was this high, I was only 10 or 11 years old,” Beata Hargitai, 22, a student, told AFP in downtown Budapest, near the flooded area.
“Moving around the capital is a bit more complicated but manageable. I am happy to see that things seem to be going rather well, in an orderly manner,” she added.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who cancelled all international engagements this week due to Storm Boris, inspected work to protect Budapest from flooding on Saturday.
He said the focus was “on flood control”, stressing that “difficult days” were still ahead to ensure the levees held up.
Just north of Budapest, waters flooded the lower reaches of homes near the Danube. Residents were traveling by canoe in the town of Szentendre.
“The lower parts of our village are under water,” Vilmos Nemet, 50, a cook who lives in the nearby village of Tahitotfalu, some 25 kilometres north of Budapest, told AFP.
So far 24 people have died in Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania in severe weather caused by Storm Boris, with floods also destroying homes and fields, and causing extensive damage to roads and railways.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Thursday in Wroclaw (Poland) a €10 billion aid package from the EU’s cohesion fund for Central European countries affected by the floods.
