[REVISION HISTORY]

Hydrological drought in Germany

2 recorded revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-28 06:41 UTC → 2026-10-28 06:41 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Germany is experiencing significant water shortages and extreme low river levels. In the Rhineland-Palatinate and Harz regions, severe drought has depleted soil moisture up to depths of 1.80 meters. In the Harz region, drinking water reservoirs have fallen to 45 percent capacity, well below the seasonal average of 67 percent, causing the remains of the former village of Schulenberg to become visible at the Oker Dam. An evaluation of the 2025/26 hydrological ~~year~~ year, which concludes on October 31, indicates that nine major river basins experienced very low to extremely low water levels. Data from the Low Water Information System (NIWIS) shows that in January 2026, approximately one-fifth of river discharges were classified as ‘very low’ or ‘extremely low’. By August and September 2026, the proportion of river discharges in these low categories reached 35 percent, based on historical comparisons from 1991 to 2020. Experts attribute these conditions to climate change and the physical modification of rivers, such as the straightening and deepening of riverbeds. Enno Nilson of the Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG) noted that while low water on the Rhine was historically a winter phenomenon caused by ice and snow, current low water levels are increasingly driven by heat and drought in the summer. ~~Consequently,~~ Additionally, southern Germany experienced extreme drought during the summer following a winter that was drier than normal, leaving soil, groundwater, and rivers ~~are entering the winter season~~ with ~~large deficits.~~ significant deficits as the hydrological year ends.

Versions

Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.