Unusually frigid temperatures in Hungary — Some mesmerising photos of the Héviz Canal

Frigid winter temperatures–a rarity in Hungary–settled over much of the Carpathian Basin on Thursday and have not budged. On early Sunday morning, temperatures in parts of Pest county dropped to -28 °C, while those arriving to the Hungarian capital were greeted by a chilly -18.6 °C at Liszt Ferenc International Airport. It hasn’t been this cold in Budapest since 1985. The Hungarian Meteorological Service notes that average low temperatures for early January in Budapest are around -4 °C.

The biting cold has not stopped some sports enthusiasts from braving the waters of the Héviz canal, in Zala county–there were those who went kayaking and others who jumped in for a swim. The Héviz canal is only around 12-metres wide and is 13 km in length. It connects to Lake Hévíz in western Hungary–considered to be the world’s second largest thermal lake and hugely popular in the medical tourism industry, especially for those who suffer from rheumatic diseases. Even in the winter months, the lake’s temperature usually stays above 24 °C, while reaching 35 °C in the summer.

The canal, however, is far less known by visitors to Hungary and its waters are not nearly as balmy in the winter months, usually hovering at around 18 °C . György Varga, a photographer with MTI, Hungary’s state news agency, produced some mesmerising images of Hévíz Canal on this frosty Sunday. Here are some of them…

Swimming in the Hévíz Canal in January. Photo: György Varga.

Swimming in the Hévíz Canal in January. Photo: György Varga.

Hévíz Canal in January. Photo: György Varga.

Hévíz Canal in January. Photo: György Varga.

Héviz Canal. Photo: György Varga / MTI.

Héviz Canal. Photo: György Varga / MTI.

Nearby Lake Balaton in January. Photo: György Varga. MTI.

Nearby Lake Balaton in January. Photo: György Varga. MTI.

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