Drought drives record low river levels, forcing nuclear shutdowns and disrupting transport in Central and Eastern Europe
Severe heat and drought have lowered water levels on the Danube and Rhine, prompting nuclear plant closures, energy-saving measures and major disruptions to shipping and tourism across the region.
Record low water levels on the Danube and Rhine, caused by intense heat and prolonged drought, are straining energy supplies and halting river traffic across Central and Eastern Europe. Hungary’s 44-year-old Paks nuclear plant, which provides nearly half of the country’s electricity, has been operating at less than 50% capacity and is expected to shut down completely next week as Danube levels remain too low for cooling. > "An energy crisis situation could arise beginning Monday," Prime Minister Péter Magyar wrote on X, urging coordinated steps and restraint.
A malfunction at Hungary’s largest gas-fired power plant has compounded the shortage, prompting authorities to ask citizens to curb evening electricity use, avoid charging electric vehicles and switch off air conditioners. Car manufacturers and battery producers have also been ordered to reduce power and water consumption.
In Romania, a reactor at the Cernavodă nuclear plant was shut down for safety reasons, with a second unit to follow. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said the closures could last one to two weeks and called on the public to lower evening power use.
The Danube’s drop has exposed riverbed rocks, a World War II bomb, old shipwrecks and the bones of a woolly mammoth discovered near Ryahovo, Bulgaria. Budapest closed the Margaret Bridge after a bomb was uncovered, and cruise ships were forced to dock upriver, cancelling sightseeing trips. Cargo operations have nearly halted, according to Hungary’s ministry of transport and investment.
Similar conditions have affected the Rhine in Germany, where water levels fell to near-record lows, reducing cargo capacity to about 20% of normal. Dutch officials reported the river’s lowest recorded level at its Dutch mouth, with further declines expected. The Netherlands has imposed water-use restrictions since mid-July, especially in agriculture.
In Serbia, dozens of cargo vessels and small boats were stranded near Novi Sad, and a houseboat operator said the Danube had receded 15 to 20 metres from the shore, ending the summer boating season.
The combined impact on energy production, transport and tourism highlights the broader challenges posed by the region’s ongoing climate-driven heat and drought.