Europe (Europe Brief News) – Severe storms hit Eastern Europe, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia on Monday, July 7, 2025, halting flights at Budapest Airport, damaging rail lines near Lake Balaton, and causing 150–170 km/h winds.
As reported by Euro News, extreme thunderstorms caused major disruption in Eastern Europe, Hungary, on Monday, July 7, 2025, on both flights and trains. Ferenc Liszt International, Hungary’s state, and Budapest’s primary airport, had to ground aircraft after the heavy winds dislodged debris over the runways, dangerous for aircraft to either land or take off.
The departures area T2A was also flooded, with officials evacuating the building with no injuries reported. Officials said many flights were affected, including one Ryanair flight from Prague that was diverted sometimes diverted to Bratisaville. Other planes circled, waiting to land. The airport warned that more delays and cancellations were possible as crews worked to fix the damage and get things back to normal.
“All passenger check-in is taking place at Terminal 2B. The storm has also affected the surrounding roads. Please be advised of any traffic changes before departure,” airport authorities said, adding that a damage assessment is underway.
How did severe storms disrupt transport and power in Eastern Europe?
The storm also made trouble for the trains in Hungary, especially around Lake Balaton. Winds were recorded in excess of 185 km/h, which caused damage to the power lines located on the north side of the lake. In this case, trees on the south side of Lake Balaton fell across tracks and the line, which stopped the trains from running.
The National Emergency Centre sent buses to help people move between Balatonfüred and Szabadbattyán, where the storm was at its largest extent. Crews were on scene for clean-up, but helmet and cleaner delays were expected.
Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia were shut down by significant weather in the first week of July 2025. Weather agencies began to issue warnings to the public. In Serbia, RHMZ issued a warning of hazardous weather conditions in Belgrade, the southeast and some areas of Vojvodina.
The forecast called for rain, thunderstorms, and hail; hailstorms were especially expected in Backa and Banat. Zrenjanin experienced strong winds and heavy rain that caused localised flooding and downed some limbs. Also, a strong thunderstorm hit Subotica around 2:15 P.M. Although storms occurred in the afternoon, the RHMZ predicted sunny and warmer weather for most of the country by evening, with possible storms in the north and west.
In Croatia, a strong storm moved inland, affecting eastern regions like Osijek. The DHMZ issued a red warning for Osijek, signalling dangerous weather and strong winds. People received alerts, and police reported damage, but no injuries occurred.
The power grid warned of possible voltage issues. In Slovenia, overnight rain lessened, but Arso issued an orange alert for heavy rain, hail, wind, and lightning. More rain was expected Tuesday night, July 8, 2025, with the west and north likely to get the most, potentially bringing more storms.
