Water levels in major European rivers have dropped to critical lows following prolonged heatwaves and severe drought, threatening shipping routes, energy supplies, and farming across the continent.
At Kaub in western Germany—a critical chokepoint for cargo transport on the Rhine River—water depth dropped on Friday to just 25 centimeters, matching the record low set in 2018. While levels recovered slightly on Monday, shallow waters mean cargo vessels cannot carry full loads. Authorities stated shipping will not stop completely, but transport companies must spread goods across more ships, raising shipping costs and causing supply delays.
The crisis extends far beyond Germany. Along the Danube, water levels reached 30-year lows in Serbia and Romania. Hungary's main nuclear power plant was forced to reduce capacity because of cooling water shortages. To protect energy supplies, Serbia cut output at coal power stations, and Romania detonated rocks in the riverbed to increase water flow to its Cernavoda nuclear facility. Car manufacturers Dacia and Ford also paused factory operations for over two weeks to save electricity.
In northern Italy, the Po River hit historic low levels near Cremona. The low river flow allowed saltwater from the sea to move upstream into the riverbed, damaging farm crops and threatening local drinking water supplies.
Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group noted that while total rainfall in Europe has not decreased significantly over the long term, higher temperatures caused by human-driven climate change evaporate moisture much faster, making severe drought conditions far more likely.