Current measurements at the Kaub chokepoint indicate water levels have fallen to 28 centimeters, the lowest since 2018, with forecasts predicting a further decline to 24 centimeters, the lowest recorded since 1990. This decline is exacerbating shipping costs and disrupting coal and fuel deliveries, as barge loadings have decreased by 75%. The ongoing heat wave, with temperatures in Frankfurt expected to reach 39°C, is straining both public health and power systems across the continent, while coal inventories at major ports have surged by 75% since spring.