Extreme heatwave hits Germany as European rivers reach historic lows

A renewed heatwave is bringing elevated temperatures and severe weather risks across Germany and central Europe. The German Weather Service warned of peak temperatures reaching up to 39 degrees Celsius, alongside severe thunderstorm alerts in multiple regions. Unseasonably warm conditions are forecasted to persist through the weekend, with mercury levels remaining between 30 and 36 degrees in southern areas.

Meanwhile, prolonged dry weather continues to severely deplete major European waterways, including the Rhine and Danube. At the Kaub gauge station, the Rhine has dropped to its lowest recorded level since 1880. The receding waters are hampering commercial shipping, threatening drinking water supplies, and disrupting river ecosystems, while exposing historical artifacts such as ancient shipwrecks and mammoth bones. Emergency crews also remain on alert for wildfires near border regions.

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