The director of Croatian Waters, Zoran Đuroković, stated that rivers in Croatia are recording historic low water levels, with previous records being broken. In an interview with the Novi dan programme, he highlighted that in the coming days, one of the rivers could completely dry up, representing an extremely serious situation for the country's hydrological system.
The latest data show that the Danube recorded its first historic low yesterday, with a second low of 144 cm recorded today. According to Đuroković, there are no signs of recovery for the Danube or other rivers in the country, indicating that this dry phase is long-lasting.
The situation is particularly critical for the Drava river in Osijek, where the water level has dropped to minus 189 cm. This figure is alarming given that the historical record for the Drava in Osijek is minus 192 cm. The gauge in Osijek has been recording data since 1827, meaning that a water level this low has not been recorded for nearly 200 years.
The fact that the current level is very close to the historical minimum further highlights the extreme nature of the current hydrological situation in this part of Croatia. In addition to low water levels, citizens are facing high temperatures. Đuroković noted that the peak of the heatwave is approaching, which places additional strain on the ecosystem.
Water temperatures in the ponds have reached 30 degrees, creating unfavourable conditions for aquatic life. The director of Croatian waters warns of the length of the dry phase and sudden changes in the hydrological state of the rivers.
