BERLIN (AP) — A hot, dry summer has left German rivers and lakes at record low water levels, causing chaos for the inland shipping industry, environmental damage and billions of euros in losses.
Experts say this scenario could portend the future as global temperatures rise.
The changes include a new island in Lake Constance; a river in Berlin that is flowing backward; dead fish on the banks of lakes and ponds; and barges barely loaded so they don't run aground.
In Magdeburg, water levels on the Elbe River have been so low that no ships carrying goods south to Leipzig or on to the Czech Republic have been able to pass through since the end of June.
