Latest News

River Rhine in south Germany near shipping after rain

Parts of the river Rhine in south Germany were closed to freight shipping again on Tuesday after current rain in south Germany increased water levels, authorities said.

Rhine levels are too expensive to permit river shipping around Maxau in south Germany, the German inland waterways navigation agency said.

High water indicates vessels do not have enough area to sail under bridges and the obstruction prevents vessels sailing to Switzerland.

Shipping on northern sections of the river is running normally including the essential points of Duisburg, Perfume and Mannheim. High water stopped sailings on the Rhine around Maxau for much of recently.

Water levels at Maxau are expected to fall to levels allowing sailings on Tuesday night or early Wednesday, according to the high water forecast centre in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

The Rhine is a crucial shipping path for products including minerals, coal and oil items such as heating oil, grains and animal feed. The Rhine has actually repeatedly struggled with low water levels since of unusually dry summertimes in current years.

(source: Reuters)