The water level of the Rhine River in Germany fell to record lows at three separate points, the newspaper Bild reported.
In Duisburg-Ruhrort, a district of the city of Duisburg, the water level stood at 149 centimeters on Sunday, August 2, two centimeters below the previous record low set in August 2022. In Düsseldorf, the level measured 21 centimeters, also two centimeters below its prior record low. In Cologne, the water level reached a historic low on August 1.
Drought blamed for falling levels
Bild linked the drop to an ongoing drought and a lack of rainfall in recent months, saying it is hurting river shipping and the broader German economy.
Igor Yushkov, an expert with the Russian National Energy Security Fund and the Financial University under the Government of Russia, said earlier that Europe is on the brink of an energy crisis because of heat and shrinking river levels.
