Climate Changed

Rhine River Could Run Too Low Again for Shipping in Germany

Hydrologists see an increasing risk of a drought, and rain patterns in the next few months will be decisive.

A barge sailing on the Rhine in Duesseldorf, Germany.

Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg
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Germany’s Rhine River could be impassable to ships again this summer if Europe has another drought, a once-rare weather phenomenon that’s becoming more likely with an increase in the temperature.