Summer of 2018 in Germany: Extreme heat and drought cause lowest water levels ever recorded

At some Rhine gauges, water levels have fallen below the lowest levels that have ever been recorded. The International Commission for the Hydrology of the Rhine basin (CHR) has started a research project to determine the contribution of snow and glacier melt to the discharge of the river Rhine, especially during low flow periods (see www.chr-khr.org//en/news/disappearing-glaciers-new-study-meltwater-rhine).

Other federal waterways also show historical low flow. Fuel shortages have been caused as ships are unable to pass the major waterways and fuel has to be transported overland. Ammunition from WW II is exposed in riverbeds due to low flow.

For further information on the low flow situation in Germany see: