Watch: Hungary’s Danube River bursts banks as flooding reaches parliament in Budapest

Watch as the swollen Danube River reaches Hungary's parliament building in Budapest as flood waters continued to rise on Friday, 20 September.

Roads, train stations and ferries along the river, which rose by nearly one metre in 24 hours, have been shut.

Prime minister Viktor Orban has warned that floodwaters will peak in the city on 21 September, with the worst weather expected to pass by midweek following prevention efforts.

Flood defence measures have been set up along 540km of Hungary's rivers, with a third-degree alert along 200km, Orban said.

The floods in central Europe and deadly wildfires in Portugal are joint proof of a “climate breakdown” that will become the norm unless drastic action is taken, the European Union's head office has warned.

“Make no mistake. This tragedy is not an anomaly. This is fast becoming the norm for our shared future,” EU Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarcic said.