The River Rhine has reached record low levels in several locations across Germany and the Netherlands, as prolonged heatwaves continue to affect Europe. Last week, measurements in Cologne and Lobith, where the Rhine enters the Netherlands, were lower than at any point since records began.
Other significant European rivers, including the Danube and Italy's Po river, are also experiencing record low levels. The EU's Drought Observatories reported that drought conditions remained critical across most of Europe and worsened in central-western Europe in mid-July.
Germany's Low Water Information System (NIWIS) indicated that 44% of Rhine measuring stations and 78% of Danube stations recorded extremely low water levels at the end of July. The low water levels on the Rhine, one of Europe's busiest waterways, have raised concerns about potential economic impacts due to limitations on navigation and shipping.
On Friday, the navigable water depth at the Kaub chokepoint near Koblenz matched its 2018 record low of 25cm, before a slight recovery on Monday. Martin Wolters of the Rhine Waterways and Shipping Authority stated that while shipping is unlikely to be suspended entirely, precautions such as distributing cargo across more vessels will be necessary. This could lead to higher transport costs and supply bottlenecks.
Last week, the Danube's water levels fell to their lowest in 30 years in countries including Serbia and Romania. This forced Hungary to shut down its only nuclear power plant, with Prime Minister Peter Magyar stating on Monday that they do not know when it will restart. Serbia has reduced output at coal-fired power plants due to cooling system disruptions, and Romania conducted a controlled explosion on the Danube to increase water flow to its Cernavoda nuclear power plant.
Italy's Po river also hit a historic low near Cremona in late July, leading authorities to raise the drought alert to "high" across the entire Po Valley. Experts have warned of potential disruptions to drinking water supplies, and lower river flows have allowed saltwater to intrude from the sea, affecting the ecosystem and farmers' irrigation.
A study by the World Weather Attribution group found no clear long-term trend towards lower rainfall in much of Europe. However, researchers noted that human-caused climate change is increasing moisture evaporation due to higher temperatures, making drought conditions more probable. The hot, dry weather also increases demand for water for household, agricultural, and industrial use.