Click here to see a photo gallery

The river fell to 31 centimetres during Tuesday morning, breaking the previous record low of 33 centimetres set on 25 October 2018. 

By 2 pm the same day, the level had dropped even further to 26 centimetres, setting a new all-time low - according to Hungary's National Directorate General for Water Management (OVF).

The exceptionally low water levels are being driven by a combination of persistent drought and another heatwave affecting both the Alps and the Carpathian Basin. 

Forecasts indicate that the Danube's Alpine catchment and the Tisza basin will receive little meaningful rainfall over the coming days, meaning river levels are expected to remain extremely low or fall further.

The low level is already affecting river transport and related tourism. In recent weeks, several Danube cruise operators have altered itineraries, transferred passengers by coach between ports or cancelled some sailings altogether as vessels struggle to navigate the shallow river. 

Cargo ships have also been forced to reduce their loads to safely pass through the narrow shipping channel.

Across the region, the shrinking Danube has exposed sandbanks, rocks and riverbeds normally hidden beneath the water. In neighbouring Serbia and Croatia, the drought has left boats stranded, disrupted commercial shipping and even revealed long-submerged shipwrecks dating back decades. 

Experts warn that prolonged low water levels could also have growing impacts on wildlife, fisheries and river ecosystems if dry conditions persist.

Hungary is forecast to experience another spell of intense summer heat through the end of the week, with daytime temperatures expected to climb into the high-30s, offering little prospect of relief for the country's rivers.

Paks output cut as Danube water levels fall; govt prepares for contingencies

The government has made preparations if any steps are needed to ensure Hungary's secure energy supply, Economy and Energy Minister Istvan Kapitany said in a post on Facebook on Tuesday.

Kapitany acknowledged a cut in the output of the Paks nuclear power plant due to record low water levels on the Danube, which the NPP uses for cooling, and warned that another heatwave could arrive in Europe in the coming days, boosting demand for electricity even as water levels fall further.

"We have prepared for this situation," he said, adding that the ministry is in constant contact with the Paks NPP, transmission system operator MAVIR and state-owned energy company MVM.

"We have held professional-level consultations and are assessing developments from hour to hour," he said.

"We are managing the situation in a responsible and transparent manner, in compliance with all professional norms," he added.

Kapitany said the public would be updated on any important developments.

The Paks NPP said it cut output of its number 1 block by 254 MW in the evening on Monday as water levels on the Danube reached -106cm.

Meanwhile Karacsony: Water utility charges must be adjusted

Budapest mayor Gergely Karacsony called for adjusting the water utility charges in a Facebook post on Tuesday, arguing that it was impossible to renovate the water network with rates that had remained unchanged for thirteen years.

Karacsony said the city's water supply was stable, but to ensure it remains so, "we must break away from our established routines." 

To safeguard Budapest's water supply, the city is asking the government to allow the municipality responsible for water supply to set water charges, the mayor said.

He said "Fidesz's foolish populist rhetoric" has led to the loss of millions of cubic metres of water every year due the "tragic condition" of our water pipes.

Karacsony called it scandalous that while some people were filling their swimming pools with water subsidised from public funds, others did not even have access to drinking water during the summer heat.

"I believe it is actually possible to explain to Budapest residents that water rates, which haven’t changed in thirteen years, aren’t enough to renovate the water network," the mayor said.

MTI Stock Photo

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.

*********************************************************************************************

You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories via our Facebook page: 

Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoop’s groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary

You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters