Danube Reveals Riverbed in Budapest
Record-low water levels due to prolonged drought have exposed parts of the riverbanks and bridge pillars in the Hungarian capital, while operations at the Paks nuclear power plant have been reduced to a minimum.
Record-low water levels due to prolonged drought have exposed parts of the riverbanks and bridge pillars in the Hungarian capital, while operations at the Paks nuclear power plant have been reduced to a minimum.
Aerial footage over Budapest shows an almost surreal scene. In places where, less than two years ago, the swollen Danube flooded streets and covered promenades, large sandbars and sections of bridge pillars that had been hidden underwater for decades have now emerged. This dramatic change is the result of a prolonged heatwave and drought that have affected much of Europe in recent weeks, dropping the Danube's water level to record lows.
The low water level has caused serious problems in electricity generation in Hungary. The Paks nuclear power plant, which uses water from the Danube for cooling and typically produces nearly half of the country's electricity, was forced to significantly curtail its operations. At one point, the facility was running at just 10 percent of its capacity, with only one of its eight turbines in operation.
Relief came on Monday, August 10, 2026, when Hungary began restarting one of the turbines after the Danube's level started to rise. Nevertheless, the country's energy system remains under pressure.
Scenes from the Danube banks near Margaret Bridge in Budapest further illustrate the scale of the crisis. Local residents have taken advantage of the newly formed sandbars as a makeshift beach. However, the mood is far from a summer idyll.
"Every year, the situation gets worse,"El País reports, quoting sentiments that reflect growing concern over the increasingly pronounced effects of climate change.
This year's droughts have caused severe consequences across Europe, particularly in electricity generation, river transport, and public health systems. The economic impact of extreme weather events is already estimated in the hundreds of billions of euros. The situation in Hungary is just one alarming example of how climate extremes directly threaten critical infrastructure and daily life.
