Europe's Rhine River has fallen to record low levels in parts of Germany and the Netherlands, impacting barge freight and disrupting one of the bloc's busiest inland shipping routes. According to BBC News, water levels measured in Western Germany in Cologne and Lobith have reached their lowest point on record. Levels on July 31 at the Rhine's Kaub station near the city of Koblenz also matched 2018's record low, before rising slightly on August 3. This comes after Western Europe experienced its hottest ever June on record, driven by the highest ever sea surface temperatures on record for the month. “In the 50 years since the historic heatwave in 1976, Europe as a whole has warmed by around two degrees."