Central Europe faces persistent heatwave as river levels drop to record lows

A persistent heatwave across Central Europe continues to drive record-high temperatures and severe water shortages. Meteorologists predict peak temperatures reaching up to 39 degrees Celsius alongside severe thunderstorms and elevated fire risks in border regions.

Water levels in major waterways, including the Rhine and Danube, have fallen to historic lows, matching records in Kaub not seen since 1880. The drop threatens drinking water supplies, groundwater reserves, and river freight transport, while simultaneously exposing historical artifacts such as sunken shipwrecks and mammoth bones along the riverbeds. Weather experts expect elevated temperatures of up to 36 degrees Celsius to persist through the weekend.

Sources: Die Zeit, DW, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau