The storm is causing more and more severe damage, warning of more thunderstorms

A spokesman for the OKF said that firefighters had already been alerted to more than 150 cases, most often in Budapest, Komárom-Esztergom and Baranya counties. Typically due to broken tree branches and fallen trees, but in many places the accumulated precipitation and hail were also a problem. The roofs of dozens of properties in Sellye, Baranya County, were damaged by stormy winds and hail. In Budapest, the XVI. and XX. district, as well as the roof of a building in Szentendre, also caught fire as a result of a lightning strike. Free accommodation and the capital XVI. firefighters also had to extinguish a lighted fire in the district due to a lightning strike.

In several places, power lines were also broken in the storm, resulting in power outages

an OKF spokesman explained.

Due to the damage caused by the storm, significant delays must be prepared on the Transdanubian railway lines. On Friday evening, Mávinform informed MTI that due to an overhead line rupture at the Kelenföld railway station, a permanent shortage on the Budapest-Biatorbágy, Budapest-Tárnok and Budapest-Érd line sections would make train traffic more difficult. For this reason, the journey time of Transdanubian trains can be extended by 30-60 minutes. Power outages and power outages were caused by a severe thunderstorm, they added.

In its alert sent to MTI, the National Meteorological Service wrote: during the evening, thunderstorms are increasingly moving east of the Danube. Heavy thunderstorms can be accompanied by wind gusts, downpours, and several centimeters of ice. During the night, thunderstorms are gradually limited to the Trans-Tisza.

In much of the country, second-degree alerts are still expected to be issued because of the risk of thunderstorms. It was noted that there is a small chance that a third-degree (red) alarm can be issued during the evening.

On Saturday, thunderstorms may be scattered east of the Danube, typically accompanied by thunderstorms, they added. Due to the danger of thunderstorms, the meteorological service issued only a first-level warning to Budapest on Saturday, Pest, Bács-Kiskun, Békés, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Csongrád-Csanád, Hajdú-Bihar, Heves, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, Nógrád and Szabolcs-Szatm To Bereg county.

Cover image: Cars drive on a road full of broken tree branches flooded with rainwater after a rainstorm in Budapest, Wekerletelep on July 9, 2021. Due to the rain, motorists and public transport passengers have to prepare for restrictions in several districts. MTI / Zoltán Mihádák

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