Danube water levels reach lowest in 30 years, hampering farming and shipping

BUCHAREST, July 20 - Water levels of the Danube river in Romania fell to their lowest since 1996 over the weekend, prompting irrigation restrictions for farmers and partially disrupting shipping and tourism along its banks.

Waterways across Europe have been affected by prolonged heatwaves and drought this year and the average peak temperature across Western Europe on Monday was forecast to be 26.2 degrees Celsius, 2.7 degrees above the normal high for July 20, the Reuters Climate Monitor shows.

Romania's state water-management agency said the level at the Romanian entry point of Europe's second-longest river was 1,700 cubic metres of water per second on Sunday, against a July average range of 4,700 cubic metres per second.

Reuters footage showed long stretches of exposed sand on the banks near the border with neighbouring Bulgaria, with several ferry services suspended and grain barges standing idle.

Romania is among the European Union's largest grain sellers and an active exporter.

Authorities had restricted farmer access to water for crop irrigation in southeastern Romania and controlled water reservoirs to ensure minimum levels required for cooling state nuclear power producer Nuclearelectrica's two reactors.

Danube levels were projected to increase gradually from Monday thanks to heavy rain in several counties, the water management agency said. REUTERS