Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said the Danube River will become unnavigable in the coming days due to shallowing caused by extreme heat and drought, reports infohub.kz.
"In two or three days, the Danube will be unnavigable. Today it is navigable, but the draft, i.e., cargo, needs to be reduced by 50 percent," the Serbian leader stressed.
According to Serbian hydrometeorologists, on August 2, the water level dropped to minus 159 centimeters, breaking a century-old record. Historic lows were recorded in several places, leading to serious consequences for shipping, tourism, and energy.
Vučić also expressed hope that the operation of Serbia's oil refinery would not have to be suspended. "There is a financial problem, but there is also a supply problem, and a growth rate problem, because the moment our refinery stops, it halts the country's economic growth and everything else," he explained.
In Hungary, the shallowing of the Danube has already led to the shutdown of power units at the Paks nuclear power plant. Additionally, due to the falling water level, ships sunk during World War II have resurfaced.
It is worth noting that several European countries are recording temperature records, deaths, infrastructure disruptions, and other consequences of the extreme heat.