New satellite images show Europe’s disappearing rivers due to drought 

Drought conditions have worsened across Central and Western Europe since the start of the summer with southern England, northern Italy and parts of Central Europe among the hardest-hit areas, according to the Global Drought Observatory.

About half of Europe’s land area is experiencing drought with 9 percent reaching the alert level, including southern Germany, Hungary, Romania, Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, according to the Combined Drought Indicator for mid-July.

On Wednesday, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre said the Loire, Po, Rhine and Danube rivers had reached record-low levels after continued hotter and drier conditions.

Al Jazeera’s Open Source Unit analysed satellite imagery showing signs of worsening drought, including retreating water in major rivers, declining soil moisture and the yellowing of green spaces in several cities.

Loire River, France

A time-series comparison of satellite images of the Loire River near the French city of Saumur shows a clear change in the shape of the river channel during August from 2023 to 2026.

In images from previous years, larger portions of the channel appear to be covered by water while later comparisons reveal wider islands and larger sandy and gravelly areas within the river.

In an image captured on August 8 this year, substantially larger exposed areas can be seen within the channel compared with the previous images, coinciding with surrounding agricultural areas turning brown and pale.

These visual changes are consistent with the broader picture documented by the Joint Research Centre, which said the Loire had reached record-low levels in August.

Garonne River, France

Near Moissac in southwestern France, a satellite comparison from May 21 to August 1 shows a considerable change in the colour of farm areas and vegetation surrounding the Garonne River.

In the May image, large areas of fields and vegetation appear in shades of green while the August image shows larger areas in brown and pale shades.

These conditions have occurred during documented hydrological stress in the Garonne basin. In early July, the Garonne River management authority began an early operation to support river levels, describing it as the earliest such intervention since the system was introduced in 1993 after river flows near Toulouse approached record-low levels for that time of year.

Rhine River, Germany

In Germany, comparisons of satellite images taken near Kaub show an expansion of exposed sandy and gravelly areas within the Rhine River channel from May 1 to July 29.

In the May image, the channel appears filled with water while the late July image reveals larger exposed areas within the river and along its banks, accompanied by a clear change in the colour of surrounding vegetation and fields.

Rhine water levels in Germany have reached record lows, causing disruptions to shipping. On Wednesday, the Reuters news agency reported that falling water levels had reached unprecedented levels and brought shipping traffic to a halt at a bottleneck on the river with some vessels becoming stranded.

Earlier, Germany’s inland waterway transport sector warned that the severe decline near Kaub could make commercial and tourist navigation impossible on parts of the river. Recent data also showed that vessels were operating with much lighter loads than usual because of reduced available draft.

Po River, Italy

In Italy, images of the Po River near Boretto in the Emilia-Romagna region show changes in the extent of water and exposed areas during August in 2023 and 2026.

The 2023 image shows a larger water-covered area in parts of the channel while the 2026 image shows sandy and gravelly areas.

This coincides with the Joint Research Centre’s report that the Po basin is experiencing severe hydrological stress while parts of Italy are facing pressure on water use for irrigation and energy production.

Danube River, Hungary

The impact of falling water levels is also visible on the Danube, which has experienced declines along several sections in Hungary and Romania.

The Joint Research Centre said reduced Danube flows are putting pressure on navigation, water supplies and agricultural activity as well as the energy sector. Satellite imagery showed a noticeable decline in water levels from August 9, 2025, to August 9, 2026.

London, England

In England, satellite imagery captured visible changes across large areas of London, including Hyde Park, and the area around Stonehenge, where vegetation vitality has declined significantly.

England recorded just 6.5mm (a quarter of an inch) of rainfall in July, equivalent to 10 percent of the long-term average, making it the driest July since records began in 1836.

On Tuesday, the United Kingdom’s Environment Agency announced that 71.3 percent of England was officially in drought, including all areas of Greater London, while reservoir storage had fallen to 69 percent.

Satellite images of Hyde Park in central London captured in July 2025 and July 2026 show the scale of the severe drought.

Vienna, Austria

The environmental impact has also extended to green spaces in other major cities. Satellite images of parks in the Austrian capital, Vienna, show changes in grass colour and water availability and the effects of extreme heat.

European monitoring centres expect dry conditions to continue through September.

High-resolution satellite imagery from SkySat shows a striking visual change in the vitality of vegetation at Auer-Welsbach Park in Vienna between the summers of 2025 and 2026.

In an image captured on July 22, 2025, the park appears to have dark-green grassy areas complemented by lush tree cover. By contrast, the image captured on July 28, 2026, shows extensive yellowing and a severe decline in greenery, with most of the park’s open grassy areas turning brown and pale.

This visual decline documents the arrival of water and heat stress at the heart of European cities where extreme temperatures and a lack of rainfall have caused soil to dry out and public green spaces to deteriorate in Britain, Austria and other parts of Central Europe.