The level of Rhine fell to the lowest level ever recorded at the point where the river enters into The netherlands, because of the drought the country and drought in neighbouring countries, the Dutch authorities said today.
«The drought in the Netherlands continues to deteriorate» said the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management in a communication.
«At Lobit's measuring point (eastern Holland), the Rhine had never fallen lower. Also, due to the lack of rain overseas, the Meuse River (ed. Maas in Dutch) brings some fresh water to the country», add.
Extreme heat in Europe has left the Rhine River at critically low levels, driving up the cost of commercial deliverys along the key waterway https://t.co/fWkEwaC5yh
— Bloomberg (@business) July 24, 2026
The Netherlands is a country known for its channels and advanced engineering in water management. As of July 16, however, he has a water shortage problem, the ministry noted. All regions have taken steps towards fairer water distribution. Among other things, restrictions were imposed on water extraction in much of the country, which mainly affects crops.
Ships are also forced to wait longer on some watersheds, the use of which has been limited to not leak the water directly into the sea.
Rikerstaat, the national authority for public works and water management, predicts that the water level on the Rhine will further decline over the next few days.
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