Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said the hardest phase of flood protection, expected to last until next Thursday, is underway.
The peak of the flood wave entered Hungary on Tuesday night, he said early on Wednesday, adding that the water authorities, disaster management, army, the interior ministry and volunteers will be working to protect areas affected by the flood wave from western parts of the country right until it passes from Hungary into Serbia.
"This period is the hardest part ... it will last for about a week or eight days from today," he said, adding that the peak of the flood wave at southern border was expected to flow beyond Hungarian territory next Thursday.
The flood wave on the Danube has reached Deveny, and the river is expected to peak at Budapest on Saturday afternoon-evening at 40-50cm lower than the 846cm historic high level, Orban said.
The Leitha River is expected to peak at Mosonmagyarovar near the Austrian border on Thursday, at a record level, he said.
Flood defense operations on the Danube, Lajta (Leitha), Raba and Marcal rivers are underway along 544 kilometres, PM Orbán noted, adding that preparedness in areas under state protection was "at one hundred percent".
Fully 4,392 people dispatched by the water and disaster management authorities, the police and prison services are currently participating in flood defenses, PM Orbán said, noting that "the most difficult spots at the moment are Pilismarot, certain sections of highway 11 [in the north-west of the country] and Margaret Island and the Batthyany Square metro station in Budapest". As certain sections of highway 11 cannot be protected, the operative body in charge of flood protection has decided to open detours, he added.
Water management experts are working to divert flood water leaking onto Margaret Island and the Batthyany Square metro station, PM Orbán said, adding that hopefully, the latter would prevent the closure of the metro station.
Flood defense work is ongoing at 12 primary state-managed spots on the Danube and Leitha's sections at Mosonmagyarovar, with 39,335 sandbags placed already. Operations along defense lines managed by municipalities are underway at 31 primary spots, where most of the 1,421,500 sandbags prepared have been used, the prime minister said.