Μake us preferred on Google Prolonged heatwave and drought are pushing major rivers in Europe, to historic lows, disrupting commercial shipping and threatening energy production as extreme weather puts growing pressure on the continent’s infrastructure.
Water levels on the Rhine, at Kaub, in Germany, have fallen to a record 15cm, nearly halting commercial shipping through one of Europe’s key trade routes. Ships have been forced to carry sharply reduced loads, while some cargo is being diverted to roads, increasing transport costs and putting additional pressure on supply chains.
Germany has eased some weekend restrictions on trucks to help handle the surge in road freight.
Further south, falling water levels on the Danube are threatening Romania’s nuclear power generation. The Cernavoda nuclear plant could shut down its remaining operating reactor on August 13 if the river continues to fall, the operator said.
The plant’s two reactors generate approximately 20% of Romania’s electricity. One reactor was already taken offline in late July, due to low water levels. Romania has declared an energy emergency for August, and is considering measures to reduce electricity consumption if necessary.
Much of Europe has seen repeated heatwaves with temperatures significantly over the average. According to the EU’s Copernicus climate monitoring service, June and July were the hottest months on record in western Europe.
