It’s the biggest question on Europe’s waterways right now after last year’s dry spell: what does the weather hold for the upcoming season?
So far, there are few forecasts to go on.
However, a Bloomberg report warns that warmer weather in 2019 is drying up the Rhine River.
According to the report, the river is at risk of traffic interruptions if the region goes without more rain over the coming months, similar to what happened in 2018 to the Danube.
Dennis Meissner, hydrologist at Germany’s Federal Institute of Hydrology told Bloomberg that the dry February weather had lowered water levels in the Rhine. The water tables in the river’s basin hadn’t properly re-charged from last year’s drought and these conditions may persist.
“The current low water level and the previous year’s not yet completely well-balanced precipitation deficit aren’t the best conditions for the outlook for the waterway over the coming months,” says Mr Meissner.
