With turbines winding down at Paks, bridges in darkness and freight trains halted at peak hours, Hungarians are suddenly feeling how a shrinking Danube can upend daily life and the wider economy.

The Paks nuclear plant, located around 50 miles south of the capital Budapest, could face a shutdown for the first time in its 44 years of service due to a lack of water for…

Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant, which generates nearly half of the country’s electricity, could be powered down as soon as this weekend due to record-low water levels on the…

The Paks Nuclear Power Plant's water intake structure and cold-water canal working with water from the river Danube is pictured near Paks on July 31, 2026. [Photo/Agencies]