Heat wave dries up Europe’s waterways

By rahmat hidayat

Friday, July 4, 2025

Hungary experiences its driest June since 1901.

Global news you can trust. Download the Reuters App. Sustainable Switch Sustainable Switch Climate Focus By Sharon Kimathi, Energy and ESG Editor, Reuters Digital Hello! It's yet another heat wave focus in today's newsletter, but this time we're diving into its effects on waterways.    This week, the Danube River in Hungary, is experiencing unusually low water levels which are affecting shipping, agriculture, and local ecosystems along Europe's second-longest river, which serves as a key transport route across the continent. Temperatures peaked at 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) in Budapest this week as much of Europe baked in an early summer heat wave, which was also linked to the death of at least eight people across the region. Click here for a Reuters explainer video on how climate change is fuelling extreme heat – a phenomenon that scientists fear will only get worse in the coming decades. The Vistula River was also at a record low in Warsaw, and the Rhine in Germany was also unusually low. As a result of the low water levels, cargo ships are leaving behind more than half of their cargo and can only operate at 30-40% capacity, Attila Bencsik, deputy president of the Hungarian Shipping Association, said. Shallow water means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels not sailing fully loaded, increasing costs for cargo owners. Shipping rates might increase by as much as 100% as a surcharge is added when a ship cannot sail fully loaded, Bencsik said. The Hungarian state meteorological institute HungaroMet said that rainfall in June was only 17% of the average for that month, making it the driest June since 1901. But the low water levels are not just impacting Europe. Over in Mexico, much of the drought-plagued country's water supply remains in a deficit despite receiving ample rains in recent weeks, according to data from national water agency CONAGUA. June was a wetter-than-normal month in a country reeling from several years of drought. Over 148 millimeters (5.83 inches) of rain fell in Mexico between May 31 and June 29, which was 51.3% above the historical average for the period. Still, national water storage levels at the dams monitored by CONAGUA were 5% below the national historical average at the end of June.   Climate Buzz 1. Greece battles wildfire on Crete for a third day as temperatures rise Firefighters are battling to put out a wildfire on the Greek island of Crete for a third day on Friday as the blaze continues to raze forests and olive groves, forcing thousands of residents and tourists to leave the area. Around 130 firefighters, 48 vehicles and six helicopters were deployed in the effort, working with gale-force wind gusts and dry conditions that could rekindle the fire in areas already contained. A new fire also broke out in the Athens suburb of Pikermi on Thursday afternoon, threatening many homes and prompting the evacuation of three settlements as more than 100 firefighters battled to extinguish it.   A view of a destroyed greenhouse, following a wildfire near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis  2. Blistering heat and empty chairs mar UN's flagship development event A United Nations development finance conference in Seville, Spain, was hampered by scorching heat waves and spending cuts this week, as rich-country leaders in Washington, London, Paris and Berlin, have been cutting aid and reducing bilateral lending in a pivot to defence spending and rising debt at home. The Financing for Development meeting is a flagship UN conference, charting the trajectory to help tackle changes the world must make to taxation policies, aid spending or key areas such as debt, health and education. Its outcomes guide global aid funding and UN policies for the decade to come. Click here for the full Reuters story on the empty chairs and watered-down agenda. 3. World's biggest climate fund ramps up investment plans The Green Climate Fund – the world's biggest multilateral climate fund – said it will make its largest ever series of investments and speed up dealmaking as it looks to help poorer nations respond to global warming. Its plan to release about $1.2 billion for 17 projects mostly in Asia and Africa follows approval by shareholders, including the United States, at a meeting this week, against a fractious political backdrop that has seen development aid cut. 4. Latin America court calls for unified climate action as legal fights mount The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) said that member states must cooperate to tackle climate change and not take actions that set back environmental protections in a non-binding advisory opinion this week. The court holds jurisdiction over 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries and the advisory opinion, requested by Colombia and Chile, said that countries must also regulate and monitor corporate activities, especially those that generate greenhouse gases. 5. Cadbury-parent Mondelez calls for delay to EU deforestation law Cadbury chocolate maker Mondelez is urging a one-year delay in the implementation of the European Union's deforestation law, Massimiliano Di Domenico, vice president of corporate and government affairs for Europe said. The proposed law, which aims to end 10% of global deforestation fuelled by EU consumption, requires companies and traders importing soy, beef, cocoa, coffee and related products to prove their supply chains do not contribute to the destruction of the world's forests, or face hefty fines. What to Watch     Click here for a Reuters video on the advocates for America's national parks who say steep budget cuts are putting the future of U.S. national parks in jeopardy. Climate Commentary The Reverend Kirsten Snow Spalding, vice president of the Ceres Investor Network, is urging world leaders to push climate adaptation further up the climate agenda as COP30 in Belem, Brazil, approaches, in a comment for Ethical Corp Magazine. Power firms are dialling up generation from both coal and gas to meet higher electricity demand from the use of power-hungry air conditioners, writes Reuters global energy transition columnist Gavin Maguire. Click here to find out what that means for U.S. energy sector emissions. Climate Lens     The European Commission proposed that the EU reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions 90% by 2040, compared with 1990 levels. The proposal said the European Union can buy carbon credits from developing countries and count these credits to meet 3 percentage points of the 2040 goal. Click here for a Reuters explainer on what that means, and why the EU's move faced criticism from campaigners and some scientists. Number of the Week 139 The number of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency employees that were placed on administrative leave after they signed a letter critical of President Donald Trump's policies, with the EPA saying it has "zero-tolerance" for those sabotaging the government's agenda. Sustainable Switch Climate Focus was edited by Jane Merriman Get full access to Reuters.com for just $1/week. Subscribe now. 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