The water level of Lake Balaton is so low that people are walking in the lakebed

A few years ago, after a lengthy break, there was enough water in Lake Balaton in the middle of summer to once again make the Sió canal (which channels some of the lake's water into the Danube) suitable for boats. This year, the situation is very different. The summer was dry, and so far, up to the beginning of October, the catchment area of the lake has not received enough rainfall.

According to the website of the water authority, as of 7 a.m. on Sunday, the average water level of Lake Balaton was 66 centimeters, which is still well below the lowest measured value of 23 centimeters, but is only about half of the maximum acceptable level. As the timeline also reveals, despite the arrival of cooler weather, the water levels have continued to drop. On September 21, the level measured at 71 centimeters, but by October 5, it had fallen by five centimeters to 66.

Our reader's photos from Balatonfenyves also clearly show that the lakebed on the southern shore has been exposed, as if it were low tide, and people are actually able to walk in it. The contrast is even more striking when we look at the marina, which is still usable thanks to dredging.

Given that the weather models are not predicting significant rainfall any time soon, there is no significant improvement expected in the near future. According to Időkép's Balaton website, there should be a few millimeters of rain in the region of the lake over the following week, but this is not going to solve the problem of the low water levels.

Our in-depth article published during the devastating summer drought of 2022 detailed some of what likely awaits Lake Balaton if the climate remains as it is. The lack of rain, environmentally destructive investments, the outdated infrastructure from the 1980s and 1990s, and the unpredictability of climate change are all threatening the lake, and this could affect not only the quantity but also the quality of its water.