Lake Constance, located on the border of Germany, Switzerland and Austria, is experiencing historically low water levels: it currently contains approximately 568 billion liters less water than usual at the beginning of October. This is about 1.2% of the lake's total volume, UNN reports, citing Bild.
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According to BILD's calculations, that amount of water would be enough to fill approximately 227,000 Olympic swimming pools. If it were gradually distributed over the area of Berlin, the German capital would be covered by a layer of water about 64 centimeters deep.
The cause is a combination of drought, an extremely hot summer, low precipitation and a winter with little snow in the Alps. The lake's main tributary—the Alpine Rhine—is currently bringing in significantly less water than usual.
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The low water level is already seriously hampering shipping: several piers have been closed, and vessel traffic in the western part of the lake—Untersee—has been completely suspended.
It is expected that only a very wet autumn and winter will be able to restore Lake Constance's water level. According to climatologists, under favorable conditions, this may happen only by March 2027.
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