Shippers prepare for worst as Rhine levels near critical low

Shipping companies are preparing to halt the transport of goods on the Rhine as water levels in Germany’s biggest river near a critically low point. An ongoing drought affecting much of Europe has lowered the Rhine and prevented large ships with heavy loads from passing key waypoints. At one bottleneck on the Middle Rhine, an official gauge measured the water level at 37 centimeters (14.6 inches) on Saturday afternoon. While the depth of the shipping lane in Kaub was still about 150 centimeters (59 inches), experts say a reading below below 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) at the gauge mark is considered unpassable even for light or specially adapted cargo ships.