Record low European river levels threaten regional power grid and transport

An ongoing heatwave and severe drought have dropped water levels across major European rivers to historic lows, disrupting transport and regional energy generation.

On August 3, the Danube recorded an all-time low of minus 163 centimeters at Bezdan on the Croatia-Serbia border, surpassing a record originally set in 1909. In Italy, saltwater from the Adriatic Sea has begun flowing upstream into the Po River, while record low levels were also measured along the Rhine at Cologne in Germany and Lobith in the Netherlands.

Energy infrastructure across Southeastern Europe remains under severe strain. Serbian authorities urged citizens to conserve electricity as daily temperatures reached 39 degrees Celsius and production at the Đerdap hydroelectric plant fell to its lowest point since the facility opened in the early 1970s.

Sources: Avaz, Beta, Danas, HRT Vijesti, N1