The National Chief Medical Officer is extending the third-level heat alert until midnight on Wednesday, the National Public Health and Pharmaceutical Centre (NNGYK) and the National Directorate General for Disaster Management announced in a joint statement on Monday.

According to the statement, based on a forecast by HungaroMet Magyar Meteorológiai Szolgáltató Nonprofit Zrt., the National Chief Medical Officer is extending the highest-level, third-degree heat alert — which was declared on Saturday — until midnight on Wednesday across the entire territory of the country.

The statement drew attention to the fact that prolonged heat, in some places approaching 40 degrees Celsius, places an increased burden on the body, making continuous fluid intake especially important. Drinking water is still recommended, while alcoholic, caffeinated, and high-sugar beverages should be avoided, they added. To prevent heat-related illness, people were asked to avoid staying in direct sunlight between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. wherever possible, and to refrain from strenuous physical activity during this period.

Employers were asked to ensure sufficient drinking water, regular rest periods, and shaded or cool rest areas for outdoor workers. Where possible, work should be rescheduled to morning or late afternoon hours, and in the event of illness, work should be interrupted immediately.

During extreme heat, everyone should stay in a shaded, cool location wherever possible, and ensure their homes are adequately shaded and ventilated.

A list of air-conditioned premises available for public use can be found on the website of the disaster management authority, they noted.
The authorities are asking everyone to pay special attention to the elderly, people with chronic illnesses, and those living alone.

It is advisable to call or visit them daily, to make sure they are drinking enough fluids and are able to cool their homes adequately. Since the heat alert came into effect on 20 June, firefighters have already been called to more than two hundred elderly people living alone who had shown no sign of life, they highlighted.

They stressed that it is particularly important that no one leave a child, an elderly person, or a pet in a parked vehicle, not even for a single minute. Anyone who notices a child or animal left in a car should immediately call the emergency number 112, they urged.

They also drew attention to the fact that since 20 June, firefighters have been called to carbon monoxide-related incidents on more than one hundred and twenty occasions.

In hot weather, the draught capacity of chimneys may decrease and an air lock can form inside the chimney, which causes carbon monoxide to build up in open-combustion water heaters, they explained, advising that carbon monoxide detectors be used near such appliances even in summer.

The statement also emphasised that a fire ban is in effect across the country, applying to forests and a two-hundred-metre zone around them.

Vegetation is dry everywhere and can ignite from the slightest heat source, which is why heightened vigilance has been requested during the heat alert period, with particular attention to agricultural harvesting operations and any work involving heat or sparks.

Information about the current heat alert and other hazard warnings is also available in real time through the disaster management authority’s VÉSZ application, according to the statement.

Artificial intelligence was used for the translation of parts of the original Hungarian text.