Europe faces continued heatwave as major rivers reach historic lows

A renewed heatwave is bringing temperatures of up to 39 degrees Celsius across Germany, with meteorologists forecasting continued high heat into the weekend accompanied by severe thunderstorms. The persistent high temperatures and drought have driven major European waterways, including the Rhine and the Danube, to historical low water levels. At Kaub, the Rhine's water level fell to its lowest point since 1880, disrupting commercial river shipping, threatening drinking water supplies, and endangering local river ecosystems. Receding waters have also exposed long-submerged historical artifacts, including ancient mammoth bones and old shipwrecks.

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