"Drought raises river shipping costs in Europe during heatwave"

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Low Water Levels Disrupt Shipping on Major European Rivers

Persistent heatwaves and drought have reduced water levels in several of Europe’s largest rivers, including the Rhine and the Danube, disrupting shipping and increasing transport expenses.

Much of the continent is experiencing high temperatures, leading to notably shallow conditions along the Rhine—a critical European waterway—particularly south of Germany’s Duisburg and Cologne. At Kaub, a key bottleneck area, vessels can only navigate at roughly half their usual capacity.

Commodity traders noted that recent rainfall provided only slight relief, with water levels rising marginally.

Due to low water, shipping companies have introduced additional charges to offset losses from underfilled vessels, driving up costs for cargo operators. Traders told *CuriosityNews* that goods typically transported on a single ship now require multiple barges.

The Rhine, central and western Europe’s second-longest river after the Danube, handles nearly 200 million tons of cargo annually, including coal, vehicle parts, grain, food, and chemicals.

In Hungary, unusually low water levels on the Danube have hindered both shipping and agriculture, as Budapest recently saw temperatures reach 35°C. Attila Bencsik, deputy head of the Hungarian Shipping Association, stated that ships are now forced to operate at 30-40% capacity, leaving more than half their usual cargo behind.

Poland’s Vistula River, the country’s longest, has hit its lowest recorded water level in Warsaw after weeks of temperatures above 30°C and minimal rainfall.

A similar situation three years ago caused supply delays and production issues in Germany when drought and extreme heat led to critically low water levels on the Rhine.

During that period, France’s EDF temporarily reduced output at nuclear plants along the Rhône and Garonne rivers as high temperatures limited the use of river water for cooling.

Forecasts suggest Germany may see some rainfall soon, potentially easing conditions on the Rhine.

The dry spell has also affected other regions. In Yorkshire, reservoir levels continue to drop sharply. Data from Yorkshire Water, which serves over 5 million people, showed reserves falling from 63% in May to 55.8% in June—far below the seasonal average of 81.9%.

With most of the summer remaining, reserves are nearing half-capacity. Yorkshire’s reservoirs have been declining since late January due to the driest spring in 132 years, combined with England’s hottest June on record. Higher water demand during warm weather has further strained supplies, with customers using nearly 1.5 billion liters on 30 June—200 million liters above typical daily output.