Water levels on the Danube river are expected to temporarily rise thanks to rains in Austria, but the situation at the Paks nuclear plant remains "difficult," Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said in a Facebook video on Friday (August 07).

The plant has been running at around 10% of its capacity since the end of last week due to a prolonged heatwave and record-low water levels on the Danube, stretching power supply capacity to its limits.

Last week Magyar asked companies and citizens to cut back electricity use in the evening hours and dimmed decorative lighting on Budapest's historic buildings to save energy. Magyar said on Friday that temperatures were expected to drop and the country's energy and water supply were stable, which means there was no longer need for cutbacks in energy consumption and decorative lighting would be switched on on Friday night.

"We have never seen such national cooperation. According to the first surveys released, nearly all Hungarian families took part in savings and changed their energy and water use," Magyar said.

However, Magyar said the situation at the Paks nuclear plant remains "difficult," and that the government was working on solutions at Paks if low water levels in the Danube, which the plant uses as a coolant, become permanent. "We expect the water level to rise a good 20 cm in the next few days, however, as there is no rain expected again from tomorrow, this rise is expected to be temporary," Magyar said. He added that the government will examine what investments were needed to make Hungary's energy and water supply more resilient.

Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, has been ravaged by record-breaking heat and destructive wildfires this summer, with France and Spain particularly hard hit in recent weeks.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Hungary PM praises 'national solidarity' in face of unprecedented drought

VIDEO SHOWS: STATEMENT BY HUNGARIAN PM PETER MAGYAR SHARED VIA HIS FACEBOOK COMMENTING ON WATER LEVELS IN DANUBE / ARCHIVE FOOTAGE OF DRONE VIEWS OF LOW WATER LEVELS ALONG DANUBE REVEALING SHIPWRECKS AND EXPOSING RIVERBED / BUDAPEST LANDMARKS WITHOUT NIGHT-TIME ILLUMINATION / FOOTAGE OF PAKS NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (RELEASED AUGUST 07, 2026) (PETER MAGYAR VIA FACEBOOK - Music Not Cleared for Use. Please Check with the Applicable Collecting Society or Relevant Rights Holders in Your Territory Regarding Clearance of Any Sound Recordings) (ORIGINALLY FILMED IN PORTRAIT)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER, PETER MAGYAR, SAYING:

"From Saturday, following a decision by the Chief Medical Officer, a level two heatwave alert will be in force instead of the previous level three, and in the meantime, the long-awaited rain has arrived in the Danube catchment area, which may bring some temporary relief regarding the Danube’s water level, at least for the next few days."

CALARASI COUNTY, ROMANIA (ARCHIVE - JULY 18, 2026) (INQUAM PHOTOS/OVIDIU MICSIK – Access all)

2. (MUTE) VARIOUS DRONE VIEWS OF DANUBE RIVER, LARGE SANDBANKS

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (RELEASED AUGUST 07, 2026) (PETER MAGYAR VIA FACEBOOK - Music Not Cleared for Use. Please Check with the Applicable Collecting Society or Relevant Rights Holders in Your Territory Regarding Clearance of Any Sound Recordings) (ORIGINALLY FILMED IN PORTRAIT)

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER, PETER MAGYAR, SAYING:

"Although hot weather is still expected over the coming days, even this slight drop of a few degrees will significantly reduce the strain on our energy system; consequently, from today onwards, there is no longer any need for voluntary reductions in consumption on the part of businesses, local authorities or the general public. My fellow citizens, the past few days have seen a succession of unprecedented events. We have never before experienced such extreme heat, such a severe water shortage, nor has the water level of the Danube ever been so low; yet we have also never witnessed such a display of national solidarity."

OSIJEK, CROATIA (ARCHIVE - AUGUST 02, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

4. VARIOUS DRONE VIEWS OF SHIPWRECK SEEN DUE TO LOW WATER LEVELS (MUTE)

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (ARCHIVE - AUGUST 04, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

5. VARIOUS OF STONES STACKED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, PEOPLE WALKING ON EXPOSED SANDBANK, PARLIAMENT BUILDING IN BACKGROUND

6. WOMAN TAKING PICTURE

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (RELEASED AUGUST 07, 2026) (PETER MAGYAR VIA FACEBOOK - Music Not Cleared for Use. Please Check with the Applicable Collecting Society or Relevant Rights Holders in Your Territory Regarding Clearance of Any Sound Recordings) (ORIGINALLY FILMED IN PORTRAIT)

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER, PETER MAGYAR, SAYING:

"From today, the decorative lighting on our magnificent buildings can be switched back on. Regardless of this, I believe it is worth taking a few things away with us from these past few days. Many of us have realised that using energy and water in a slightly more conscious and planned way does not entail any major sacrifices. Young and old, people from the countryside and Budapest alike, regardless of their political affiliations, are in ever-greater numbers coming to realise that we must take much better care of our natural resources, our water, our land and our clean air than we have done so far."

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (ARCHIVE - AUGUST 5, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

8. PARLIAMENT WITHOUT LIGHTS

9. VIEW OF DANUBE AND BRIDGES WITHOUT LIGHTS

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (ARCHIVE - AUGUST 5, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

10. EMBANKMENT WITH MAYFLIES FLYING ROUND STREET LIGHT / PARLIAMENT IN DARK IN BACKGROUND

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (RELEASED AUGUST 07, 2026) (PETER MAGYAR VIA FACEBOOK - Music Not Cleared for Use. Please Check with the Applicable Collecting Society or Relevant Rights Holders in Your Territory Regarding Clearance of Any Sound Recordings) (ORIGINALLY FILMED IN PORTRAIT)

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER, PETER MAGYAR, SAYING:

"My fellow countrymen, as far as Paks is concerned, although the situation has improved, it remains difficult. We are now 13 cm above Sunday’s water level, and the water level is expected to rise by a further 20 cm or so over the next few days. However, as no further rainfall is expected for a long time from tomorrow, this rise is likely to be temporary, and from next week we will be counting the centimetres again. We are continuously monitoring the operation of the nuclear power station, the single turbine is generating power steadily. At yesterday’s meeting of the emergency response team, I gave instructions to draw up various temporary solutions in the event that the previously unprecedented low water level at Paks becomes a persistent issue."

PAKS, HUNGARY (ARCHIVE - JULY 31, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

12. VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF PLANT AT WATER PUMP POINT AT DANUBE RIVER CHANNEL /

DRY SHORE

PAKS, HUNGARY (ARCHIVE - AUGUST 4, 2026) (PETER MAGYAR VIA FACEBOOK - Access all) (ORIGINALLY SHOT IN PORTRAIT)

13. VARIOUS OF MAGYAR TOURING TURBINE HALL OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANT