Both the Vistula in Poland and the Danube in Hungary, two of Europe’s biggest rivers, have reached record-low water levels as Europe’s unprecedented heatwave intensifies and starts to cause major economic damage.

The low water levels in the two rivers have disrupted transport, agriculture and ecosystems across central Europe, national weather agencies said on July 4, reports Reuters.

In Warsaw, the Vistula fell to just 18 centimetres at one monitoring station, breaking the previous record by two centimetres, according to the Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW), reports AFP. The agency forecasts levels could drop further to as low as 12 cm – around 200 cm below the seasonal average.

“There has not been such a severe hydrological drought in Poland at this time of the year since measurements began,” said Grzegorz Walijewski, a hydrologist at IMGW, speaking to AFP. He attributed the conditions to climate change, noting that higher temperatures and fewer rainfall days were accelerating water depletion across the region.

The extreme conditions are not limited to Poland. In Hungary, the Danube – Europe’s second-longest river – is experiencing a similar radical fall in water levels, usually only seen in late summer, affecting inland shipping and regional supply chains.

“Cargo ships must leave behind more than half of their cargo and can only operate at 30-40% capacity,” said Attila Bencsik, deputy president of the Hungarian Shipping Association. Shipping rates may increase by as much as 100% due to surcharges applied when vessels are unable to sail fully loaded, he added.

The disruption comes as much of Europe endures an unusually early and severe heatwave. Temperatures reached 35°C in Budapest and 36°C in Warsaw this week, with at least eight heat-related fatalities reported across the continent. In Germany, the Rhine is also flowing at well below average levels.

The Hungarian meteorological agency HungaroMet reported that June rainfall was only 17% of the long-term average, making it the driest June since records began in 1901.

Attila Szegi of the Hungarian General Directorate of Water Management said rain was forecast next week in the Danube catchment area, which could slightly raise water levels and improve navigability.

Walijewski warned of far-reaching consequences: “The drought affects every branch of the economy.” Agricultural yields are already under pressure, which could push food prices higher across the region.

The annual disaster season is now well underway, driven by the accelerating Climate Crisis. However, in the previous two years the problems have been largely limited to storms and wildfires. This year has reached a new level after the Iberian Peninsula blackout in April, when power stations across the region were shut down by extreme temperatures. Likewise, this week France was forced to shut down two nuclear reactors after the water in the rivers became too hot to be used to cool the reactors. And on July 4, half of Czechia suffered a blackout for as yet undetermined reasons.