Water levels in Croatian rivers reach record lows

Coupled with a lack of rain and temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius, the heat wave that has gripped Croatia has reduced water levels in rivers throughout the country. Hardest hit are those in eastern Croatia, which have dipped to record lows.

According to water management authorities the recent heatwave and lack of precipitation is cause for concern as rivers in the east of the country have reached record lows. Further amplifying concerns is the fact that no significant change in water levels are expected for the next five to seven days.

"The water level is changing on an hourly basis, but these changes are in line with the forecasts and the tendencies we have seen in recent days. This means that water levels continue to fall within the domain of ‘extremely low’ water levels. What's new when compared to Monday, is that today we have once again measured a record low water level at the Dunav - Batina measuring station at minus 143 centimeters, which is truly a very low water level," reported the deputy director of the Water Management Department for the Danube and Lower Drava, Mario Spajić.

This has also sparked concerns that the extremely low water levels could threaten the supply of electricity in Croatia. Specifically, the extreme heat has also affecting the temperature of the Sava River, which could lead to disruptions in the operation of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant in Slovenia. The Krško power plant accounts for almost 20% of Croatia's annual supply of electricity.

"Upstream the Sava River has warmed up by almost half a degree a day. If the water reaching us gets even warmer we will pass our thermal discharge limits in terms of heating the river. If these conditions do not change, we will have to partially reduce the power plant's output," the President of the Management Board of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant, Gorazd Pfeiffer, told reporters on Tuesday.

Source: HRT