The capital of Hungary, Budapest, is awaiting the peak of a flood that could be the largest in the last 11 years. According to the country's Ministry of Water Resources, the water level in the Danube will reach 8.5 meters in the next 24 hours, which is 5 meters higher than the normal level. This event is approaching the historical maximum of 2013, when the water rose to a record 8.9 meters. This was reported by Izvestia with reference to Infostart.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced that Budapest is fully prepared for the approaching elements. «The defense lines have been raised to 9 meters along the entire length of the protective zone in Budapest, which is higher than the highest flood level in the city. The weakest points, Margaret Island in the city center and the Batthyány Square area on the Buda side, have also been successfully strengthened,» Orban said.

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony confirmed that 90% of temporary dams have been installed and more than half a million sandbags have been placed to protect the city. Despite the measures taken, the embankments in central Budapest have already begun to flood. Over the past 24 hours, the water level in the capital has risen by more than a meter, and water is already covering the embankment in front of the Hungarian Parliament building.

The flooding has affected not only Hungary, but also other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and Romania. In the Czech Republic, floods have affected 250 settlements, with the situation in ten of them considered critical. Czech President Petr Pavel warned that it could take months or even years to restore the damaged infrastructure.

In Poland, a state of natural disaster has been declared due to heavy rainfall, and the military has evacuated 1 100 people from flooded areas in the south of the country. Romania was also hit by flooding, with more than 5 000 homes damaged in the city of Galati and four people killed. There were also casualties in Poland and Austria.