Cargo vessels on the Rhine are now restricted to roughly one-third of their normal payload after water levels at the critical Kaub gauge dropped to just above 80 centimetres, deepening a disruption that had already forced leading industrial firms to scale back riverborne freight.
Shipping cooperative MSG said reduced draught limits leave operators no choice but to lighten loads, with a portion of added expenses passed on through low-water surcharges. Authorities expect a brief rise in water levels over the next few days before they decline again by late week. On the Upper Weser, the gauge at Hannoversch Münden is forecast to drop below one metre by Thursday and reach 60 centimetres by Friday, while the Edersee dam has been releasing only its minimum allotment as reservoir stocks sit at 40 billion litres versus the typical 155 billion.
A new federal monitoring portal, Niwis, went live with real-time data from around 350 river gauges and 200 groundwater stations, showing nearly two-thirds of groundwater sites below long-term norms following a dry spring and extreme June heat.