Heatwave brings drought to various cities across Europe

As a fifth heatwave hits Europe, rivers across

the continent are at their lowest on record,

disrupting agriculture and water traffic.

In Hungary, grazing has become a challenge while

Germany and Italy see drying rivers affect major tourist

attractions.

Persistent droughts are turning the Great Hungarian Plain

into something that resembles a desert where farmers are

struggling to cope.

The soil across Hungary is critically dry, threatening

desertification as drought and high heat kill off vegetation and

turn what was once a valuable network of farms and grazing lands

into dust.

In Cologne, Germany, low water levels on the Rhine are affecting tourist

boats, forcing local operators to take some of its largest vessels

out of service and adapt operations with the boats that can still navigate in

the challenging situation.

A skip captain says just figuring out where to turn has become a big

responsibility, especially with passengers on board. He says

navigating takes longer now because there isn't much current these days.

Meanwhile in Italy, the ancient Nero bridge near St Peter's Basilica

has resurfaced

from the river Tiber due to extremely low water levels, as Rome

has gone without rain for weeks.

Water levels of Rome's main river has fallen below 80 cubic meters per

second, against a historical value that is around 150 on average in July.