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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Justin Spike

Record-low Danube River affects tourism and industry as drought and heat grip Central Europe

Romania Danube Drought - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

As wildfires rage in France and Spain and a renewed heat wave is bearing down on Western Europe, a prolonged drought half a continent away is setting record low water levels on one of Europe's largest rivers, disrupting tourism and industry and confronting residents with the realities of climate change.

The Danube River, which runs through 10 countries from southwestern Germany to the Black Sea, has receded to never-before-seen lows along much of its course, exposing rocks, sand bars and old shipwrecks that have rarely been seen before.

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