Danube hits record low as heatwave and drought grip the continent
Navigation on Europe’s biggest rivers is becoming increasingly difficult as high temperatures and scant rainfall push water levels to extreme lows on Central Europe’s two principal arteries for waterborne freight and tourist traffic.
Falling water levels have been affecting shipping on the Danube for weeks, with Hungarian operator MAHART PassNave suspending most ferry services between Budapest and neighbouring towns earlier this month.
Several cruise ships were reportedly forced to dock in the northern town of Komárom over the weekend, leaving passengers to travel the remaining 90 kilometres to the capital by bus.
A reading of just 27 centimetres in Budapest on Tuesday evening marked a record low for Europe’s longest river at this point in the year, 6cm below the previous record set in 2018.
