Wetter: Niedrigwasser schränkt Schifffahrt auf dem Rhein stark ein

The exceptionally low water levels on the Rhine are significantly hindering the shipping traffic, as reported by Fabian Spieß, deputy managing director of the Federal Association of German Inland Waterways. On the particularly affected Middle Rhine section between St. Goar and Mainz, "only isolated freight ships are sailing," he stated. The heavy rainfall in the Rhine basin has not alleviated the situation. "Shipping continues to serve its customers, but it can only transport considerably less cargo," Spieß added.

The shipping continues as long as it is safely possible, it is left to the discretion of the ship captains. Initiatives introduced last month, such as lifting restrictions on Saturdays and public holidays for trucks, might partly stabilize the supply chains, according to Spieß.

The segment between St. Goar and Mainz is considered the "narrow neck" of the Rhine shipping. This stretch is less developed than upstream and downstream, according to the BDB. The water level in Kaub dropped to zero and set a historic low over the weekend. In Cologne, a low-water record of 40 centimeters was recorded on Monday. Observations by the Waterways and Shipping Office indicate a sharp decline in shipping.

The waterways and shipping authority anticipate that the water levels in Cologne will rise by the end of the week and in Kaub from the coming weekend. Abnormal low water levels were observed in Cologne and Kaub in the first half of August, leading to the suspension of freight shipping. Either freight ships could not sail at all or only sailed empty in the second half of August, following the rainfall.