Rhine river discharge at Lobith hits record low

The water discharge of the Rhine at Lobith has fallen to 614 cubic meters per second, breaking the 79-year-old record set in November 1947 (620 cubic meters per second). While the lowest recorded flow in 1929 was 575 cubic meters per second, that instance was caused by an ice dam rather than drought.

Hydrometeorologist Jan Verkade of Deltares and Rijkswaterstaat attributed the decline to exceptional warmth causing Swiss snow to melt three months earlier than usual, combined with a lack of rainfall. The KNMI noted that most of the river basin received less precipitation than normal between February and July.

The drought has significant economic and environmental consequences. Inland shipping is impacted as vessels can carry less cargo, increasing transport costs. Industries are facing shortages of cooling water, and agricultural restrictions have been implemented in many areas to limit water extraction. There are also concerns regarding declining water quality.