Flow of Danube in Romania three times lower than multiannual August average
The flow of the Danube, the second-longest river in Europe, will continue to decrease until the end of next week in the Romanian section. The river's volume will be three times lower than the multiannual average for August, according to the forecast issued by the National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management for the period August 15-22, 2026.
Specifically, the flow of the water in the Baziaș section, which marks the Danube’s entrance in Romania, will decrease from 1,400 cubic meters per second to 1,300, much lower than the multiannual average for August of 3,900 cubic meters per second, according to the same source, cited by Agerpres.
In the quarterly forecast, hydrologists estimated a maximum Danube flow of 2,000 cubic meters per second and a minimum of 1,450 cubic meters per second for August. Downstream from Romania’s Iron Gates, the boundary between Serbia to the south and Romania to the north, flows will generally remain stationary, with a slight downward trend.
As for the inland rivers, daily average flows will remain relatively stationary throughout August 16–22. In the second part of the period, isolated increases in water levels and flows are possible on some small rivers in hilly and mountainous areas, with a higher probability in the north, west and northwest of the country, as a result of the forecast precipitation, in the form of showers.
Last week, Romania’s nuclear group Nuclearelectrica (BVB: SNN) announced the controlled shutdown of its second nuclear reactor due to low Danube flow. The river water is paramount for the cooling process of the reactor. The energy group’s other reactor, Unit 1, had been shut down at the end of July for the same reason.
The two units together provide nearly 20% of the national electricity consumption from the grid and are the largest generating units in Romania, with 680 MW each. No date has been announced for restarting, as it all depends on the flow of the Danube.
In the meantime, Romania is forced to import energy to compensate for the loss of power, especially in the evenings.
(Photo source: Apele Romane Olt on Facebook)
