The water level stood at -139 centimeters this morning, with the record low of -148 cm recorded five days ago. The drought is paralyzing river traffic and threatening agriculture across Central and Southeastern Europe.
Nine centimeters-that's all that separated the Danube at Batina from its absolute historic low this morning at 6 a.m., recorded at the same measuring station on August 4 at 9 p.m., when the level dropped to -148 centimeters. Data from the State Hydrometeorological Institute (DHMZ) showed -139 this morning, and the chances of that gap widening in the coming days are virtually nil.
In recent days, the water level has fluctuated within barely 15 centimeters, with no sign that the riverbed might begin to refill. The DHMZ sees no improvement even in the coming week: for eastern Croatia, temperatures of 30 to 36 degrees are forecast, with no precipitation anywhere. So, the situation will not swing upward; rather, if anything, it will press even closer to the historic bottom. According to the DHMZ's daily hydrological report for Sunday at 7 a.m., the Sava in Zagreb was at -293 centimeters, the Kupa in Karlovac at -58, the Drava in Osijek at -183, and the Mura near Mursko Središće at 147 centimeters.
The Danube is not the only river in trouble. Zoran Đuroković, general director of Hrvatske vode, warned that the Drava at Osijek, where water levels have been monitored since 1827, is recording values not seen in nearly two centuries. In early August, a new low of -192 centimeters was measured there, and on Sunday morning it was just nine centimeters above that record. Due to the low water level, large sandbars have appeared on the Drava, cutting off the navigable channel, so ships can no longer enter Osijek. The situation is particularly dramatic on the Orljava near Požega, which fell to just three centimeters on Sunday. Đuroković estimated that the river could completely dry up in that area within the next few days, and water keepers and engineers from Hrvatske vode warn that this could happen by the end of the week or early next week. "Building a reservoir upstream of the town would allow water to be released during low-flow periods and maintain the biological minimum," Đuroković emphasized. Residents at the foot of Papuk are already feeling the consequences-their wells are struggling to refill or running dry, while only puddles remain in parts of smaller watercourses.
The prolonged drought, intensified by summer heatwaves, is already cutting into yields of crops that are the backbone of domestic agriculture: corn and sunflowers. Experts warn that the harvest will be significantly below the multi-year average, and without substantial rainfall in the coming period, the numbers will slide even deeper.
The shallow riverbed does not allow ships to carry full loads, while high temperatures occasionally disrupt road and rail traffic as well. The drought has also shaken electricity production, with Hungary and Romania among the hardest hit, and Austria, Slovakia, Serbia, and Bulgaria also grappling with the consequences. The low Danube water level has thus transformed from a hydrological problem into a logistical and energy bottleneck squeezing half the continent.
Croatia is not alone in this crisis. Deutsche Welle reports that the Rhine in Germany has dried up so much that in places where there used to be a strong current, one can now wade across on foot. Warmer water with less oxygen threatens mass fish die-offs, and the combination of drought and high fertilizer concentrations is promoting algal blooms. In Cologne, authorities have already restricted water extraction from rivers and streams, threatening violators with fines of up to 50,000 euros. In Italy, the Po River has reached a historic low, while in Hungary, Romania, and Croatia, the receding water has turned into eerie archaeology, with mud revealing sunken ships and cars once again.
High temperatures without significant rainfall mean only one thing: the extremely low Danube water level will not be a short-lived episode, but a period that will continue in the days ahead, with all the consequences we are already measuring in centimeters, tons, and kilowatts. The DHMZ forecast for this weekend does not predict major changes-the Sava, Kupa, Danube, and Mura are expected to remain in the low-water domain, with stagnant levels.
