Rhine water levels near record lows in Germany

Rhine water levels in Germany are nearing or reaching record lows as low rainfall and high summer temperatures raise concern among shipping operators and industry.

Germany's WSV waterways agency said a stretch of the Rhine near Kaub, a key point for commercial shipping, briefly dropped early Friday to the record low previously recorded in 2018 before rising again.

WSV predicted that the Rhine gauge at Duesseldorf could fall on Saturday to 21 centimetres, two centimetres below a record set in October 2018. Dutch authorities said Thursday that worsening drought had pushed the Rhine to its lowest recorded level at the German border.

Low Rhine levels could affect German industries such as chemicals and steel, which use the river to move large volumes of goods. Germany's construction federation said repeated low water levels showed how vulnerable the country's transport and logistics systems were and called for waterways to be made more resilient to climate change.

Scientists have attributed the combination of low rainfall and high summer temperatures in parts of Europe, including Germany, to human-caused climate change. Italian authorities also raised the drought alert level to high in the Po Valley, home to Italy's longest river, because of worsening conditions and unfavourable forecasts.