Europe's Heat Wave: As Rivers Dry Up, Nazi Ships Emerge

A severe heat wave in Europe has dropped the Danube to a historic low, exposing dozens of Nazi warships from World War II, some still carrying weapons. In Slovakia, a British bomb was recovered, and in Hungary, a German motorcycle was found. The crisis is hitting energy: Hungary's Paks nuclear plant is on the brink of shutdown, and in Romania, rocks were blasted to channel water to a reactor.

A severe heat wave and extreme drought in Europe have led to a historic drop in the water level of the Danube, the continent's second-longest river, and the exposure of relics from World War II. Dozens of Nazi ships, part of Hitler's Black Sea fleet and deliberately sunk in September 1944 to slow the Soviet advance, have emerged from the riverbed. Some still carry weapons and explosives, complicating their removal. In Slovakia, police recovered an unexploded British bomb weighing about 700 kg, and in Hungary, a German military motorcycle was found in Budapest, where the water level hit a low of 10 centimeters, compared to 33 centimeters in 2018. The crisis is also affecting energy: Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant, with four reactors, reached the brink of full shutdown for the first time in its 44 years of operation, producing only 240 megawatts instead of 2,000. In Romania, rocks were blasted to divert water to the last nuclear reactor. Hungary's Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, said engineers managed to keep one turbine running, but a full shutdown is expected in the coming days.

Europe's Heat Wave: As Rivers Dry Up, Nazi Ships Emerge