Record-low water levels on the Danube have forced nuclear plants in Hungary and Romania to curtail operations, as the river's decline disrupts power generation, shipping, and tourism across southeastern Europe.
The Paks plant in Hungary shut down one reactor and reduced another unit's output to roughly 60 percent of capacity. Romania's Cernavoda plant is idling both reactors, with the second unit scheduled for a controlled shutdown on July 30. The crisis has stranded about 15 hotel ships on the Hungarian stretch, while Bulgarian border police evacuated 186 passengers from the Viking Ullur after it ran aground. Serbia imported only 25 percent of its targeted fuel in July, and DDSG Blue Danube has cut services in Austria.
Falling waters have exposed World War II German fleet wrecks near Prahovo, mammoth remains in Bulgaria, and a WWII bomb in Croatia. World Weather Attribution found climate change made the drought roughly 11 times more likely.