The Rhine Is Inches From Being Too Shallow for Shipments
An oil tanker sails past dry banks on the Rhine River near Oberwesel, Germany, on July 14.
Photographer: Alex Kraus/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
As Europe bakes in a heatwave, about 14 1/2 inches of water are now all that’s preventing parts of the continent from being effectively cut-off from supplies of vital commodities.
That’s the gap -- just under the height of a bowling pin -- between the current water level at a key bottleneck on the Rhine in western Germany and the point at which barges can usefully navigate the river. A further drop is forecast for tomorrow -- though it’s less than two inches.