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A severe drought affecting central Europe has led to historically low water levels in the Danube River, prompting regional governments to implement urgent measures to avoid an impending energy shortage.

In Romania, where the Danube’s flow is said to have decreased to 1,500 cubic meters per second, the nation’s navy conducted a controlled detonation to remove rocks close to the Bala Canal, aiming to ensure sufficient water flow for the secure functioning of Romania’s Cernavodă nuclear power station.

The severe measure followed when officials had already closed one reactor at Cernavodă.

Romania’s energy sector has been in a state of alert since Friday, when interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan urged citizens to reduce their electricity consumption during peak evening times and cautioned that the low water level of the Danube might result in the closure of the second reactor at the Cernavodă power plant.

In Serbia, the administration has taken steps to decrease power generation from certain of the nation’s hydroelectric facilities.

The two largest, Djerdap I and Djerdap II — contributing approximately 18% of Serbia’s power generation — have cut their production to 20% and 30% of their individual capacities, according to Serbian Energy Minister Dubravka Đedović, who spoke to local media.

Hungary is also encountering difficulties in energy generation.

On Sunday, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated that the country’s sole nuclear power plant was set to close due to rising temperatures in the area.

“Because of the continued decrease in the Danube’s water level, one of the remaining two generating units at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant will be turned off at 1:30 a.m.,” Magyar stated in a post on X just after midnight on Sunday.

“Consequently, the plant’s production will drop to only 240 megawatts, and it will be fully closed down tomorrow for the first time in 44 years,” he added.

On Monday, the Prime Minister provided a somewhat more positive report, stating that “water management forecasts” for the coming days had “become slightly more hopeful.”

The water level of the Danube has stayed consistent since this morning in both Paks and Budapest,” he stated, noting: “The final turbine at Paks is still producing electricity.