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The Guardian
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Low water levels push up shipping costs on Europe's rivers amid heatwave
Low water levels after heatwaves and drought are limiting shipping on some of Europe's biggest rivers including the Rhine and the Danube and pushing up transport costs. As much of Europe swelters in hot temperatures, water levels in its main rivers have fallen. This is affecting shipping along the Rhine – one of Europe's key waterways – south of Duisburg and Cologne in Germany, including the choke point of Kaub, forcing vessels to sail about half full. Rainfall over the weekend caused only a moderate rise in water levels, according to commodity traders. Shallow water has prompted ship operators to impose surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels not sailing fully loaded, increasing costs for cargo owners. Traders told Reuters that loads that are normally transported on one vessel were being carried on several barges. Most of the nearly 200m tonnes of cargo shipped on German rivers each year – from coal to car parts, grains and food to chemicals – is transported on the Rhine, the second longest river in central and western Europe after the Danube. Unusually low water levels on the Danube in Hungary are affecting shipping and agriculture, as temperatures peaked at 35C in Budapest last week. This means cargo ships must leave behind more than half of their loads and can only operate at 30-40% capacity, Attila Bencsik, the deputy president of the Hungarian Shipping Association, said. In Poland, the water level in the Vistula, the country's longest river, has fallen to its lowest ever recorded level in Warsaw as temperatures stayed above 30C for a prolonged spell and there has been little rainfall. Three years ago, German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production problems after a drought and heatwave led to unusually low water levels on the Rhine. That summer, the French energy supplier EDF had to temporarily reduce output at its nuclear power stations on the Rhône and Garonne rivers as heatwaves pushed up their temperatures, restricting its ability to use their water to cool the plants. More rain is forecast in Germany in the coming days, which could raise water levels. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion The lack of rainfall is causing problems elsewhere. In Yorkshire in the UK, water reservoirs have plunged. Data released by Yorkshire Water, which has more than 5 million customers, showed levels had dropped further from 63% recorded in May to 55.8% in June – significantly below the average (81.9%) for this time of year. Reservoirs are close to half full, with most of the summer still ahead. Yorkshire's reservoirs have been declining since late January amid the driest spring for 132 years in the county and England's warmest June on record. During warm weather, water usage usually increases, which further affects reservoir levels. Customers used almost 1.5bn litres on 30 June – 200m litres above Yorkshire Water's typical daily output. Another UK water company, Severn Trent, has urged its 8 million customers to be 'mindful of their water use'. It said there was less water in reservoirs and rivers and while there was no plan for a hosepipe ban, it remained an option.
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Low water levels push up shipping costs on Europe's rivers amid heatwave
Low water levels after heatwaves and drought are limiting shipping on some of Europe's biggest rivers including the Rhine and the Danube and pushing up transport costs. As much of Europe swelters in hot temperatures, water levels in its main rivers have fallen. This is affecting shipping along the Rhine – one of Europe's key waterways – south of Duisburg and Cologne in Germany, including the choke point of Kaub, forcing vessels to sail about half full. Rainfall over the weekend caused only a moderate rise in water levels, according to commodity traders. Shallow water has prompted ship operators to impose surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels not sailing fully loaded, increasing costs for cargo owners. Traders told Reuters that loads that are normally transported on one vessel were being carried on several barges. Most of the nearly 200 million tons of cargo shipped on German rivers each year – from coal to car parts, grains and food to chemicals – is transported on the Rhine, the second longest river in central and western Europe after the Danube. Unusually low water levels on the Danube in Hungary are affecting shipping and agriculture, as temperatures peaked at 35C in Budapest last week. This means cargo ships must leave behind more than half of their loads and can only operate at 30-40% capacity, Attila Bencsik, the deputy president of the Hungarian Shipping Association, said. In Poland, the water level in the Vistula, the country's longest river, has fallen to its lowest ever recorded level in Warsaw as temperatures stayed above 30C for a prolonged spell and there has been little rainfall. Three years ago, German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production problems after a drought and heatwave led to unusually low water levels on the Rhine. That summer, the French energy supplier EDF had to temporarily reduce output at its nuclear power stations on the Rhône and Garonne rivers as heatwaves pushed up their temperatures, restricting its ability to use their water to cool the plants. More rain is forecast in Germany in the coming days, which could raise water levels. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion The lack of rainfall is causing problems elsewhere. In Yorkshire, water reservoirs have plunged. Data released by Yorkshire Water, which has more than 5 million customers, showed that levels have dropped further from 63% recorded in May to 55.8% in June – significantly below the average (81.9%) for this time of year. Reservoirs are close to half full, with most of the summer still ahead. Yorkshire's reservoirs have been declining since late January amid the driest spring for 132 years in the county and England's warmest June on record. During warm weather, water usage usually increases, which further affects reservoir levels. Customers used almost 1.5bn litres on 30 June – 200m litres above Yorkshire Water's typical daily output. Another UK water company, Severn Trent, has urged its 8 million customers to be 'mindful of their water use'. It said there was less water in reservoirs and rivers and while there was no plan for a hosepipe ban, it remained an option.
The Independent
04-07-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Ships forced to leave cargo behind as heatwave hits one of Europe's longest rivers
Europe 's second-longest river is experiencing unusually low water levels in Hungary, severely impacting shipping, agriculture, and local ecosystems amidst an early summer heatwave. The critical situation on the River Danube has forced cargo ships to operate at a mere 30-40 per cent capacity, leaving more than half their cargo behind, according to Attila Bencsik, deputy president of the Hungarian Shipping Association. He warned that shipping rates could surge by as much as 100 per cent due to surcharges imposed when vessels cannot sail fully loaded. Temperatures in Budapest peaked at 35 degrees Celsius this week, as a heatwave across Europe has been linked to at least eight deaths. While low water levels have been recorded on the Danube previously, they typically occur later in the year, in August, noted Attila Szegi, a deputy spokesman for the Hungarian General Directorate of Water Management. Szegi said that rain was expected in the Danube catchment area next week, which should lead to a slight rise in water levels and an improvement in the shipping situation. The Hungarian state meteorological institute HungaroMet said that rainfall in June was only 17 per cent of the average for that month, making this June the driest since 1901. "June is one of the most rainy months of the year in our climate, and now we have this low water level," Gyorgy Matavovszki said, as he stopped with his kayak on a sandbank at Szob, a town north of Budapest. "It has its beauty because the water is clear, it is easy to paddle in it ..., but it is worrying." The Vistula river was at a record low in Warsaw, and the Rhine in Germany was also unusually low. Michał Sikora, a meteorologist and hydrologist at Poland's IMGW, said that the Vistula River reached a record low level of 19 centimetres (7.48 inches) on Friday, adding that it is expected to decline further in the coming days, possibly to below 15 centimetres.
Reuters
04-07-2025
- Climate
- Reuters
Low water levels on Danube disrupt shipping as heatwave hits Hungary
BUDAPEST, July 4 (Reuters) - Unusually low water levels on the Danube river in Hungary are affecting shipping, agriculture, and local ecosystems along Europe's second-longest river, which is a major transport route across the continent. Temperatures peaked at 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) in Budapest this week as much of Europe baked in an early summer heatwave linked to the death of at least eight people. As a result of the low water levels, cargo ships must leave behind more than half of their cargo and can only operate at 30-40% capacity, Attila Bencsik, deputy president of the Hungarian Shipping Association, said. Shipping rates might increase by as much as 100% as a surcharge is added when a ship cannot sail fully loaded, he said. Such low water levels have been previously recorded on the Danube, but they usually happen in August, Attila Szegi, a deputy spokesman for the Hungarian General Directorate of Water Management, said. Szegi said that rain was expected in the Danube catchment area next week, which should lead to a slight rise in water levels and an improvement in the shipping situation. The Hungarian state meteorological institute HungaroMet said that rainfall in June was only 17% of the average for that month, making this June the driest since 1901. "June is one of the most rainy months of the year in our climate, and now we have this low water level," Gyorgy Matavovszki said, as he stopped with his kayak on a sandbank at Szob, a town north of Budapest. "It has its beauty because the water is clear, it is easy to paddle in it ..., but it is worrying." The Vistula river was at a record low in Warsaw, and the Rhine in Germany was also unusually low. Michał Sikora, a meteorologist and hydrologist at Poland's IMGW, said that the Vistula River reached a record low level of 19 centimetres (7.48 inches) on Friday, adding that it is expected to decline further in the coming days, possibly to below 15 centimetres.
The Sun
04-07-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
Low Danube water levels disrupt shipping amid Hungary heatwave
BUDAPEST: Unusually low water levels on the Danube river in Hungary are affecting shipping, agriculture, and local ecosystems along Europe's second-longest river, which serves as a key transport route across the continent. Temperatures peaked at 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) in Budapest this week as much of Europe baked in an early summer heatwave linked to the death of at least eight people across the region. The Vistula river was also at a record low in Warsaw, and the Rhine in Germany was also unusually low. As a result of the low water levels, cargo ships must leave behind more than half of their cargo and can only operate at 30-40% capacity, Attila Bencsik, deputy president of the Hungarian Shipping Association, said. Shipping rates might increase by as much as 100% as a surcharge is added when a ship cannot sail fully loaded, he said. Such low water levels on the Danube are not unheard of, but they usually happen in August, Attila Szegi, a deputy spokesman for the Hungarian General Directorate of Water Management, said. Szegi said that rain was expected in the Danube catchment area next week, which should lead to a slight rise in water levels and an improvement in the shipping situation. The Hungarian state meteorological institute HungaroMet said that rainfall in June was only 17% of the average for that month, making this year the driest June since 1901. 'June is one of the most rainy months of the year in our climate, and now we have this low water level,' Gyorgy Matavovszki said, as he stopped with his kayak on a sandbank at Szob, a town north of Budapest. 'It has its beauty because the water is clear, it is easy to paddle on it ..., but it is worrying.'
