Danube water levels: Hungary, Romania cut nuclear output

Key Points:

• Hungary and Romania have significantly reduced output at their nuclear power plants due to historically low water levels in the Danube River, which is essential for cooling operations; Hungary's Paks plant cut output by 50% on reactor 2, and Romania's Cernavoda plant shut down one reactor and nearly shut down the second.
• The Danube's water level in Budapest dropped to 23 centimeters, well below the previous record low of 33 centimeters set in 2018, impacting not only nuclear plants but also river traffic, with cargo ships halting operations and tourist cruises forced to dock further upriver.
• In Bulgaria and Serbia, low water levels have stranded cruise ships and cargo vessels, with authorities evacuating tourists and many boats marooned on dried riverbanks, signaling a severe disruption to river navigation and tourism.
• The exposed base pillars of Budapest's Margaret Bridge, revealing a World War II bomb, highlight the severity of the Danube's drop, which experts link to climate change amid one of Europe's hottest summers on record.
• Western Europe faces related climate challenges, with France and Spain battling wildfires and Germany preparing for another heatwave, where heat-related deaths have already reached nearly 10,000 this summer, marking a significant public health concern.