Netherlands faces historic low Rhine water levels and severe drought

The water level of the Rhine at Lobith fell to a record low of 6.36 m above NAP on Sunday, the lowest ever recorded at that gauge. A brief rise of a few centimetres followed rain in other parts of Europe, but experts expect the level to remain near this low for the next two weeks, possibly extending into August. The shortage hampers navigation – ships wait longer for locks and some canal sections are closed – and reduces water availability for industry and agriculture.

July 2026 was unusually hot and dry, with average temperatures 19.7 °C (seven of the warmest July months since 1901) and rainfall only 15 mm against a normal 78 mm. The nationwide drought has triggered water‑use restrictions: the Limburg water board banned surface‑water extraction, and a daytime ban on irrigation was imposed in the Brabantse Delta. The situation has been classified as level 2 on the water‑scarcity escalation ladder, meaning demand exceeds supply and priority is given to flood protection and drinking water, while shipping, farming and industry are last.

Alphons van Winden, a landscape ecologist and water‑level specialist, warned that the low water will persist and that the economic and environmental impacts could last for weeks.