The National Public Health Center (NPHC) is responsible for the technical justification of the decision to issue a heat alert. The NPHC continuously monitors daily temperature trends and short-term meteorological forecasts, and assesses daily mortality affected by temperature on a weekly basis.
Among the environmental factors, temperature has a very significant impact on health. During heatwave days, daily mortality increases by about 15% on average across the country.
According to the studies on the health impact of climate change carried out in Hungary since 2000, temperature effects and extreme weather events are currently considered to be the most significant health risks in the Carpathian Basin. Heat wave days have been increasing in frequency since the 1990s and are expected to become even more frequent in the future according to climate models. In order to reduce public health risks, the three-stage Hungarian heat alert system was introduced in 2005, based on international recommendations and domestic studies.
The aim of the national warning system is to alert the health and social care system, local authorities and collaborating organisations to take the necessary measures and to inform the public about the situation and health risks as well as the possibilities to reduce the impact.
The criteria for alert levels are based on environmental health analyses. Accordingly, the levels are set as follows:
- Level 2: according to the meteorological forecast, the daily mean temperature is expected to reach (or exceed) 25°C for at least three consecutive days;
- Level 3: according to the forecast, the daily mean temperature is expected to reach (or exceed) 27°C for at least three consecutive days.
The NPHC regularly communicates on the heat alert through the different communication channels to reach the different target groups.