Heatwaves expose nuclear power’s water riskSumit Bose, 03/08/2026,https://www.energylivenews.com/2026/08/03/heatwaves-expose-nuclear-powers-water-risk/Extreme heat and falling river levels are forcing nuclear plants across Europe to reduce output or shut down, raising fresh questions over how the continent’s reactors will cope with a warming climate. The problem is not unique to Hungary, most nuclear plants rely on rivers to remove waste heat from their steam systems. When water levels fall, less cooling water is available and when rivers become too warm, operators can be prevented from discharging heated water back into them because of environmental limits. A European Commission estimate cited by the International Atomic Energy Agency suggests every 1°C rise in cooling-water temperature can reduce nuclear output by around 0.2%. The IAEA says climate-related losses remain small compared with total nuclear generation but warns heatwaves, drought and changing water availability will become increasingly important without adaptation.