Navigable depth at Kaub fell to about 25 centimeters, matching the 2018 low, and could set a new record. Barges kept moving, but at roughly 20% of capacity, while Rotterdam-to-Karlsruhe rates rose to more than three times their late-June level.
More than 100 firefighters battled a blaze across Dunwich Heath and Minsmere reserve, coastal habitats whose vegetation may take decades to recover. About 50 people were evacuated; nearby Sizewell B nuclear station kept operating and was not on alert.
North Wales and the Upper Severn basin officially entered drought after receiving less than 2% of expected July rainfall, with rivers at record lows, fires still burning and mounting damage to habitats, crops and wildlife.
The Riyadh summit of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification placed land restoration, drought resilience and financing at the center of the agenda. More than USD 12 billion was pledged, but a binding global agreement on drought remained pending and will continue toward COP17.