Unusual events in 1996
Unusual events in 1996
In January 1996, the large quantities of snow, frost and ice, deposited on trees, utility poles and high-voltage cables, caused considerable damage on two occasions in the area of the town of Pilis. Freezing rain fell in the area on 7 and 8 January. Moreover, it snowed on several occasions previously, then a thick crust of ice formed on various surfaces due to the freezing rain. High-voltage lines snapped, utility poles fell, and forests sustained severe damage, as well, many trees having fallen and branches broken. It travel was prohibited to in many parts of Pilis at the time. Around 25 January, the meteorological conditions also favored the depositing of frost, ice and snow in considerable quantities.
Traffic had to be stopped on the section of the M7 highway near Martonvásár in the early afternoon hours on 28 May 1996. Commuters passing by encountered a phenomenon rarely seen in Hungary. The north-north-westerly winds, accompanied by stormy gusts, picked up the sandy soil in the area. With high, 80 to 100 km/h winds carrying the sand, visibility was practically nil and progress was similar to being in thick fog. Sand invading and being deposited in the engines of vehicles may have also caused problems.
May and June 1996 was more abundant in showers, rainstorms and cloud-bursts than usual. For example, in May 1996, the large quantities of precipitation falling over a short period of time even led to natural disasters in some places, namely in Pilis and Baranya.s
On 21 June 1996, in the late hours of the afternoon, an immense storm cloud burst over the northern part of Somogy county and Zala county, with large – occasionally walnut-sized hail falling in the eye of the storm, damaging roofs and breaking windshields. A fortunately rare phenomenon in Hungary – a tornado – occurred in the region. Not even the buildings could withstand the force of this destructive whirlwind, causing damage in the magnitude of hundreds of millions in the region of the community of Torvaj in Somogy county. At the same time, winds of only 20 to 30 km/h were recorded just a few kilometres away from the eye of the storm.
