Winter

Well, I thought the weather gods had decided to be lenient with Hungary this year. January was cold, but bearable, and I imagined the worst was over. Then February arrived.

Ukraine and Poland gave an early warning of harsh winter conditions ahead.  Seven days later, extreme cold descended on Hungary accompanied by snow.

Presently in Budapest, an 8 cm initial fall of snow has compressed on the ground. The Danube looks like a Canadian waterway, with broken ice floes over much of the surface drifting constantly downstream.

Daytime, with appropriate layered clothing, walking outdoors presents no problem. In fact, some clear sunny days have partially melted the snow.  But clear days merely set up nightfall for deeper extremes of cold.

Last Friday, when the official night temperature was merely -11C, I missed both the last metro and alternative bus home. This meant 40 minutes exposure... seeking options, walking for 20 minutes against ice wind, then waiting for the night tram to arrive. It was an interesting experience!

Today, Feb 8th, the southern regions of Hungary are forecast temperatures of -23C overnight. This is extreme – even for Hungary.

In such conditions the homeless (of which Budapest has far too many) become of prime concern. Extra police have been mandated to locate those still on the streets. Official hostels, however, have become full, requiring hospitals and other centres to open their doors for shelter.

Meanwhile, many schools have temporarily closed. The reason offered is they cannot afford the current costs of heating!

Hungary – a place of extremes – suffered, mainly, with remarkably quiet equanimity...