Germany and the Netherlands have recorded the lowest water level in the Rhine river in its entire history of observations. The reason is a prolonged drought that has affected a significant part of Europe, according to the BBC.
According to monitoring data, by the end of July, low water levels were observed at 44% of measuring stations on the Rhine and 78% of stations on the Danube. In the section near the city of Kaub, the navigable depth decreased to 25 centimeters — repeating the anti-record of 2018.
Such shallowing seriously complicates river cargo transportation. For vessels to continue moving, they have to be loaded less or cargo has to be distributed among several vessels. This can lead to increased transport costs and supply problems.
A similar situation is observed on other major European rivers. On the Danube in Serbia and Romania, water levels have become the lowest in the last three decades. In Hungary, due to water scarcity, the country's only nuclear power plant was shut down.
In Italy, the Po river has also reached a historically low level. Authorities declared a high alert in the river valley and warned of potential drinking water disruptions. The advance of salty seawater into the Po estuary threatens ecosystems and creates difficulties for agriculture.
Meteorologists predict that the new heatwave will continue for at least another week, with air temperatures exceeding +40 °C in many countries of Central and Southern Europe. According to the European Drought Observatory, the situation in many regions of the continent remains critical and continues to worsen.
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