Rivers across the European continent, including some of its most important waterways, are drying up as an unrelenting heatwave refuses to go away.
The Danube, Rhine, Elbe and Loire have all dried up as the continent has baked through this summer, leaving a question mark on drinking water supplies, trade via navigation and even recreational activities.
The Danube, the second-longest river in Europe after the Volga, has fallen to its lowest level in 30 years in Romania, where it ends in the Black Sea, according to government agency, Romanian Waters.
According to Romanian Waters, the Danube’s flow at Baziaș, where the river enters the country, has fallen to around 1,700 cu m per second, barely a third of the July average of 4,700 cu m per second.
The drought has left long stretches of exposed sand on the banks near the border with neighbouring Bulgaria, with several ferry services suspended and grain barges standing idle, Reuters reported. The agency added that the situation is expected to improve from July 20, when rainfall was expected in several counties.
On the other side of the continent, its other great river, the Rhine has also fallen victim to the heatwave and drought. Reports in the European media had noted how the water level in the river at the critical river gauge at Kaub had hovered at as low as 80-90 centimetres recently.
The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, ores, coal and oil products, including petrol. Low levels in the river have affected navigation with cargo ships being forced to sail only partially loaded, significantly multiplying transport and shipping costs across Europe’s industrial hubs
Reuters reported recently though that the river was set to rise slightly from current low water levels after unexpectedly heavy rain in southern Germany. This would enable ships to take on greater loads.
In France, the 625-mile Loire river was reduced recently to a dry bed with isolated pools after weeks of intense heat in Montjean-sur-Loire, according to media reports. The Doubs River has also run dry, highlighting worsening drought conditions.