The Danube has fallen to a historic low in Budapest, with water-level gauges showing just 1 centimetre on Tuesday, according to Időkép.
The Danube’s water level is at its lowest ever in Budapest
The reading is significantly lower than the levels recorded during the severe drought conditions earlier in the summer. In July, the Danube had already broken the previous negative record set in 2018, when the water authority measured a level of 27 centimetres at the end of the month, reports Időkép.
The river continued to recede throughout August, falling by almost another 20 centimetres. By Tuesday, the water level had dropped to just 1 centimetre. The exceptionally low level is creating serious difficulties for river navigation and can also pose a direct safety risk to vessels, as obstacles normally hidden beneath the surface become exposed or much easier to encounter.
Some of the consequences of the unusually low water level have already become visible elsewhere along the Danube. Near Baja, a shipwreck emerged from the riverbed to such an extent that it could reportedly be walked around. In Budapest, the remains of the former Ferenc József Bridge, which sank near what is now the Liberty Bridge, also became clearly visible.
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There might be light at the end of the tunnel
Water management experts attribute the extreme conditions to prolonged rainfall shortages and exceptionally dry conditions across the Danube’s catchment area. There could, however, be some relief in sight. A weather front is expected to bring rain to the Danube basin on Wednesday and reach Hungary by the evening. The rainfall could lead to a rise in the river’s water level.
The record low water levels show how Hungary, and all of Europe has become the victim of the all-summer-long dry conditions, with consequences extending beyond the river itself to navigation and water safety.
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