The water level of the Danube is low, but not a record low. The bad hydrological situation will remain in March, but the long-term forecasts of the climatologist of the Republic Hydrometeorological Institute of Serbia (RHMZ) indicate that it is possible that there will be significant precipitation in April and May, so the situation will improve, RHMZ hydrologist Dejan Vladiković tells "Vreme".
The water level of the Danube is particularly low from the station Bezdan, on the border with Hungary, to Novi Sad, and downstream the situation is a shade better because the impact of the work of the "Đerdap" Hydroelectric Power Plant and the rise of the Sava River can be felt there. The water level of the Sava is in the medium-low water level category, while the water level of the Danube is low.
Little precipitation
Such a situation on the Danube was influenced by the lack of precipitation in the entire catchment area, from Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Serbia.
"The situation is further complicated by the small amount of water in the snow, because the snow in the Alps was intense in December and the first half of January, and after that there was almost no snowfall," Vladiković says.
Previously, snow melting in March and April was common, rains were more frequent, but this year it was absent.
Difficult navigation
He also adds that navigation conditions on the Danube are difficult and that the RHMZ issued a hydrological announcement last week that navigation levels will be low during this period.
This means that the people who steer the ships, in coordination with the captains, switch to a more careful driving mode and move along safer corridors, while ships with a deeper draft cannot sail.
"For the next ten days, no significant precipitation on the Danube that could improve the situation has been announced. It is similar with the Tisza, and the Sava will have a little more favorable precipitation because they are expected in Slovenia and Croatia. This is not expected for the Danube, and from the weekend the warning for low navigation levels from Bezdan to Novi Sad will be renewed," says Vladiković.
Possible problems in the water supply
He adds that in addition to navigation, a low water level can also affect water supply and agriculture, because rivers are connected to groundwater.
"The long-term forecasts of climatologists of the RHMZ indicate that it is possible that there will be more significant precipitation in April and May, but in March the unfavorable hydrological situation for the Danube remains," says Vladiković.
When it comes to wildlife in the Danube, he states that complications are greater during the summer, when low water levels are expected, but also when temperatures are high, when the problems of wildlife are more intense due to lack of oxygen. Temperatures are not alarming now, while in summer the water temperature of the Danube reaches 25 or 26 degrees Celsius.
