World War II warship surfaces as Danube reaches record low water levels

A German warship from the Second World War has become visible on the Danube riverbed near Prahovo, Serbia, after the water level fell to historically low depths during a prolonged heatwave across Europe. The vessel is one of roughly 200 sunken ships, including cargo vessels, tugs and barges, identified by the European Investment Bank as lying on the river floor.

Similar conditions have revealed the 1937 wreck of the Hungarian cargo ship Fulton near Opatovac, Croatia. In Budapest, the national water authority recorded the Danube at 23 cm (9 inches), well below the previous low of 33 cm set in 2018. The drop has forced cruise ships to dock farther upriver and halted most cargo traffic, according to Hungary’s Ministry of Transport and Investment.

The low water also jeopardises electricity generation. Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant, which supplies nearly half of the country’s power, is operating at less than half capacity and may shut down completely as river water for cooling becomes insufficient. Romania has declared a state of emergency after reduced river flow cut output at its nuclear facilities.

"I have declared a state of alert on a national level throughout August as a result of the drop in electricity production because of drought and low river volumes, especially the Danube," said Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan.

"Both (Romania and Hungary) have cut our nuclear power production in half," he added.

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said the reactors could be restarted only when water levels recover, which is not expected in the coming weeks, and that the country may need to rely on electricity imports to meet rising demand during the heatwave.