Romania shut down its lone nuclear power plant on Thursday, a rare move amid the drought that has caused record lows on the Danube River and other major waterways in Europe.
The Danube is the sole source of cooling water for the Cernavoda plant, which usually generates around one-fifth of Romania's electricity.
The power station has only been shut down once before, in 2023, again as a result of drought and a hot summer.
Meanwhile, Hungary was scrambling to dam the Danube, as it tries to keep its Paks nuclear power plant at least running at the minimal levels that it has maintained in recent days, which are far below capacity.
Attempts to divert more water to Cernavoda earlier this month didn't prevent a shutdownImage: Alex Nicodim/Anadolu/picture alliance
