Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Europe Drought Cripples Rivers, Triggers Heat Deaths, Fire Bans

8/11/2026

32 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Europe Rivers Dry

Germany's Rhine fell to about 16 cm at Kaub, below the 40 cm depth needed for barges.
The Danube fell to near-minimum levels, leading Hungary to keep the Paks nuclear plant barely cooled and Romania to halt ferry services.
Serbia’s Danube exposed up to a dozen sunken Nazi warships near Prahovo, far more than usual.
EU Copernicus reported June-July as the hottest on record in western Europe, with about 25,000 heat-related deaths.

Summary

Prague bans fires

The Orlík boat lift, renovated in 2022 for over CZK 122 million, has been out of service since July because its tracks no longer reach the water.
Prague has banned open fires, smoking and fireworks in parks, forests and high-risk zones to curb drought-driven fire danger.
A Joint Research Centre study projects a sharp increase in desertification risk by 2040 for southern Moravia and the Polabí region.

1 of 2

Europe Rivers Dry

Germany's Rhine fell to about 16 cm at Kaub, below the 40 cm depth needed for barges.
The Danube fell to near-minimum levels, leading Hungary to keep the Paks nuclear plant barely cooled and Romania to halt ferry services.
Serbia’s Danube exposed up to a dozen sunken Nazi warships near Prahovo, far more than usual.
EU Copernicus reported June-July as the hottest on record in western Europe, with about 25,000 heat-related deaths.

1 / 2