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Rhine water levels at Kaub hit record low, halting navigation as wildfire forces evacuations

· Environment DEU
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The Rhine River's water level at Kaub fell to six centimeters overnight, the lowest point since detailed records began, as Germany's drought deepened. The Inland Waterways Association said navigation is no longer possible when readings drop into single digits, after the gauge first slipped below 10 centimeters on Friday morning. Forecasters expect levels to hover between five and six centimeters through the weekend. At Cologne, the river stood at 49 centimeters and was projected to fall further to 47 centimeters, already far below the 2018 record low.

Meanwhile in North Rhine-Westphalia, a wildfire scorched roughly 25 hectares of forest and approached the village of Gay, forcing the evacuation of about 1,800 residents.

Story development

  1. Austria records driest year in 176 years as low rivers squeeze German builders and reservoirs
  2. Rhine water levels at Kaub hit record low, halting navigation as wildfire forces evacuations
  3. German wildlife face dehydration as low rivers disrupt freight and Swiss waters hit record lows
  4. German states suspend Sunday truck ban as low river levels choke freight
  5. Europe's water crisis deepens as France imposes restrictions across 99 departments and rivers expose sunken wrecks
  6. Four German states lift Sunday truck ban to ease drought-hit freight bottlenecks
  7. Germany considers lifting Sunday truck ban as Rhine low-water crisis triggers summit
  8. Drought drives European hydropower output to historic lows as energy prices surge
  9. Rhine gauges plunge to fresh record lows as drought widens across Europe
  10. Hungary's Paks nuclear plant to shut down completely as European drought deepens
  11. Rhine gauge at Cologne breaks 2018 record low as drought deepens across Europe
  12. Hungary shuts Paks nuclear plant entirely as Danube drought deepens energy crisis

Covered by 18 outlets across 9 countries

Sources

The reporting this story is built on

handelsblatt.com DEU Klimawandel: Wo Dürre und Niedrigwasser die Wirtschaft treffendw.com DEU ألمانيا أمام اختبار المناخ.. نهر يختنق بالجفاف وغابات تشتعلtagesschau.de DEU Niedrigwasser: Rhein-Pegelstand bei Kaub nur noch einstellig
Additional coverage

Others reporting the same event

jyllands-posten.dk DNK »De fleste af dem sagde: "Det kommer aldrig til at ske." Men det gjorde det«: Krise på Rhinen rammer tysk industrikrone.at AUT Die Flüsse versiegen - Niedrigwasser zwingt Fracht von Schiffen auf Lkwlefigaro.fr FRA Sécheresse : pénuries d'essence dans l'Est, en raison du niveau historiquement bas du Rhin20min.ch CHE Unter 10 Zentimeter – so wenig ist vom Rhein noch übrigfocus.de DEU Rhein-Niedrigwasser bremst dramatisch deutsche Erholung ausspiegel.de DEU Niedrigwasser in Deutschland: Wirtschaftsweise erwartet höhere Kostenzeit.de DEU Niedrigwasser: Fachleute: Rhein-Niedrigwasser trotz Regens wohl bis Herbstn-tv.de DEU Muss der Fluss geteilt werden?: Niedriger Pegel, keine Lösung: Die Wirtschaft schaut gebannt auf Rheinkilometer 546

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