The mighty 650-kilometre Danube River that snakes throughout Europe from the Black Forest to the Black Sea is receding at some of its banks.
In Romania, the Danube River is the latest victim of the unprecedented summer heat, with the water levels shrinking to the point of jeopardising normal traffic.
At points, current water levels are 6 cm below the normal range, with roughly 2,900 cubic metres of water flowing per second — well below the August average of 4,600 cubic metres per second.
the head of Romania’s Danube navigation sector, Ioan Neacșu, told Euronews that this is becoming the new normal for the drought-stricken area, with sailors adjusting their travel paths to accommodate shallow depths.
Residents of the Romanian village of Corabia said they can now spot the shallow depths affecting nautical traffic. “Tourist boats can’t leave the harbour anymore, and commercial boats are struggling to make headway,” one resident said.
Another said he had seen this year-on-year at the Danube near Corabia, adding the tourist port “cannot be used”.
As Romania swelters through one of the worst heatwaves in the country’s history, many hope the Danube’s shallow tides will turn.
Watch the video in the player above to find out more.
