One of the Hottest Augusts on Record
The month of August in 2024 was the second warmest recorded since 1901, as reported by HungaroMet Zrt. The summary data for August revealed that the month was significantly warmer than usual for that time of summer, continuing the trend of above-average temperatures seen in the preceding summer months.
Hungary Today previously reported that this year experienced the fifth hottest June and the hottest July since the turn of the 20th century. The national average mean temperature for August in 2024 was 24.53 degrees Celsius, matching the mean temperature recorded in July of the same year and falling just 0.01 degrees short of the record set in August 1992, the warmest month on record since 1901.
The meteorologists further noted that while warmer-than-average years have been prevalent over the past decade, 2024 stands out as particularly extreme, with August being over 1 degree warmer than the previous second warmest August in 2022.
The southern regions of the Great Plain experienced the highest temperatures, while the cooler temperatures were observed in the higher elevations of the country. The discrepancy from the average temperature was most pronounced around Pécs, with the smallest difference in the north-eastern parts of Hungary. The daily mean temperature in the first week of August was 2-3 degrees below the average from 1994-2023, gradually increasing until August 13 when it plateaued at around 27.5 degrees on the hottest days of the month. Subsequently, the temperature began to decrease, approaching the 1994-2023 average by August 23.
Following this, the weather gradually warmed up again, remaining unusually hot towards the end of the month, with August 31 being 7 degrees above the 1994-2023 average temperature.
The impact of these temperature trends on agriculture and other sectors remains to be seen, with concerns about drought and other climate-related issues in the region. Farmers have until September 30 to report any losses due to drought under relevant legislation, reflecting the challenges posed by the changing climate patterns.
The information was sourced from MTI, with the featured image courtesy of Pixabay.
Via MTI, Featured image: Pixabay
