Rivers and lakes across Austria and Germany are entering peak summer at historically low levels following months of below-average rainfall, prompting transport disruptions and environmental alarm.
Austria's rivers are approaching midsummer with below-average water levels, with deficits concentrated in Lower Austria, Burgenland, and Upper Austria, the World Wildlife Fund reported Wednesday citing government hydrographic data. June flows fell below long-term averages at roughly 85 percent of monitoring stations nationwide, while groundwater levels also remain depressed.
Lake Constance has dropped to its lowest July level since records began in 1850, the State Agency for the Environment Baden-Württemberg confirmed, with exposed lakebed near Reichenau Island forcing excursion vessels to skip Swiss-side stops. On the Elbe, the Federal Institute of Hydrology warned that low-water conditions will persist as dry, hot weather continues across Central Europe, pushing Saxon Steamboat Navigation to suspend routes to Bad Schandau and Meissen through the weekend.