Stuck in Budapest as Storm Boris hits Europe

Freak weather has brought life-threatening floods across central Europe following weeks of extreme heat and drought which destroyed precious farm produce. I am currently in Budapest wondering when it will be safe to travel to Austria which has been battered by Storm Boris. I am one of the lucky ones. I can change my plans, and my life and property are not in danger. Many in south-eastern Europe are not that lucky. Climate emergencies seem to be growing more frequent and more extreme.

Extreme Hungarian heat

Hungary usually experiences a change of weather around mid-August. The extreme temperatures of summer drop slowly to make way for more gentle autumn weather with temperatures in the twenties. I arrived in Hungary in late August, expecting to enjoy a few days of sunshine but wasn’t prepared for the extreme heat which instead carried on until the second week in September.

I wrote about the impact of extreme heat and drought on Hungarian farming two years ago. The same picture greeted me on the drive to the little lake where I own a small holiday chalet: brown corn fields, charred sunflowers, signs of past fires. For me, the hot weather meant lovely swims in the lake to cool down. But for farmers and food supplies, the extreme weather was catastrophic.

A sudden drop in temperature

When the temperature dropped drastically on 12 September, I decided to leave my chalet in the south-east and drive to Budapest to stay with a girl friend in her flat in the centre of town. On my drive, Google Maps warned me that flooding might lead to some road closures near the Danube. I wasn’t worried as those roads are often flooded.

Storm Boris brings forth a torrent

Once in Budapest, I found that I needed warmer clothes and wished I had packed an umbrella. Rain pelted down incessantly, and it felt much like English weather in October or November. Thankfully, as the owner of two lively dogs, I am used to having to walk in all weather and had packed a waterproof jacket and wellies.

My plan was to start my drive back to the UK on Sunday. My first stop was going to be at my brother’s house in the Vienna Woods. I said my farewells to my family and friend in Budapest, jumped into my van, set Google Maps to show me the way, and switched the engine on. Then my mobile rang.

Hazardous roads, torrential rain and floods

My brother sounded unusually serious on the phone. He said: “You cannot come to us today.” The roads leading to his house had been closed. He was busy trying to stop water from entering his basement. The small stream near to the house had flooded the road and he had to move his car to higher ground. It was not safe driving on the motorway which takes one through Vienna towards Germany.

I was stunned and at a loss for what to do. I had to rethink my schedule which included booking the Eurotunnel on a specific day. I checked the news online. Several countries, including Austria, were experiencing dangerous floods with some loss of life reported. This was not a good day for driving into those areas. I was stuck in Budapest.

The search for a pet-friendly hotel

Thankfully, I had some spare local currency and some money in the bank. I searched online to find a pet-friendly hotel ready to offer me and my two dogs a room. Hungarian culture, especially in the capital, has changed and there was a long list of pet-friendly hotels available. I chose one which had good reviews, but then I faced a new problem.

My van is too long to fit into an ordinary parking spot and too high for an underground car park. I couldn’t drive to the hotel so I needed a taxi to take me and my dogs there. This proved to be impossible as the only pet-friendly taxi was constantly booked. I had to cancel my hotel booking and look for somewhere close enough to walk to.

A precarious journey across Budapest

I found a pet-friendly hotel with a vacancy and thankfully the downpour stopped. But, as anybody who walked with two lively dogs and a suitcase will know, the walk was not easy. We had to cross several main roads with traffic lights which gave just about enough time for an Olympic sprinter to cross while green. My dogs enjoyed imbibing the new smells of a city shared with many other dogs. I needed to check my phone regularly to look at the directions to the hotel. Holding two dogs, a suitcase which decides to flip over if not on even ground and looking at one’s phone is like witnessing a comic circus act.

When at last I made it to the street where the hotel was situated, I was a bit worried. The houses were grey and tattered, and the pavement was full of potholes. It reminded me of London King’s Cross before its major refurbishment. The facade of the hotel was also grey and uninviting, but there was a modern glass door.

Thankfully it opened automatically, saving me the balancing act with the dogs and the suitcase, and I was pleasantly surprised on entering. The reception was light, modern and warm. The hotel was new and had a lift. As is often the case in London, the 19th-century facade was preserved to respect its historical architecture, but it hid a modern building with all mod cons.

Waiting out the floods

Now, after a nice sleep in a comfortable bed, I am watching the news. The rivers continue breaking their banks and the forecast is not good. In Austria, snow has fallen in the mountains and is expected to thaw. This will further swell rivers in the area.

I might be stuck in Budapest a little longer. But I shouldn’t complain; there is a park nearby, which is the Hungarian equivalent of Hyde Park. Much smaller, of course, but big enough for a decent walk with the dogs. It’s not raining at the moment. There are great pet-friendly restaurants and nice fashionable shops all within walking distance. I could think of worse places to be stranded.