Rhine falls to record low levels as drought strains Europe's rivers

The River Rhine has fallen to record low levels at various locations in Germany and the Netherlands as prolonged heatwaves continue across Europe. Last week, measurements in Cologne, western Germany, and at Lobith—where the Rhine crosses into the Netherlands—showed levels lower than any point since records began. Other major European rivers vital for transport, industry and agriculture have also seen record lows, including the Danube, which runs through ten countries, and Italy's Po. Drought conditions remained unchanged and critical across most of Europe and worsened in central‑western Europe in mid‑July, according to the EU's Drought Observatories. Renewed heatwave conditions are expected to persist for at least another week, pushing temperatures above 40 °C in many central and southern European countries. Germany's Low Water Information System (NIWIS) reported that 44 % of Rhine gauging stations and 78 % of Danube stations recorded extremely low water levels at the end of July. The Rhine, which originates in the Swiss Alps and empties into the North Sea, is one of Europe's busiest waterways. Declining levels have raised concerns about the economic impact of restricting navigation and shipping. On Friday, the navigable water depth at the chokepoint of Kaub near Koblenz hit the 2018 record low of 25 cm, before recovering slightly on Monday. The Kaub gauging station in western Germany is a key indicator of Rhine navigability because it shows how heavily cargo vessels can be loaded. Low water levels there can severely limit inland shipping. Martin Wolters of the Rhine Waterways and Shipping Authority told German outlet WDR that though shipping connected the Rhine was improbable to be suspended altogether, precautions would person to be taken, specified arsenic spreading retired cargo among much vessels to marque them little heavy. Over time, this can lead to higher transport costs and supply bottlenecks, Wolters said. "There comes a clip erstwhen loads are excessively tiny to beryllium worthwhile oregon vas owners are disquieted astir damaging their ships," 1 commodity trader told Reuters. Last week, the waters of the Danube fell to the lowest levels for 30 years in respective countries, including Serbia and Romania, forcing Hungary to unopen down its lone atomic powerfulness plant. "We don't cognize erstwhen we volition beryllium capable to restart [the plant]," Prime Minister Peter Magyar said connected Monday. "We anticipation that it volition hap arsenic soon arsenic imaginable and we anticipation that the cooling, liberating rainfall that the forecasters bash not yet spot coming volition arrive."