On 17 August, the wrecks of a World War II shipwreck near Plahovo, Serbia, were exposed to the surface as the water level of the Danube Fell.
A World War II bomb was found in the Po River in Italy.
The "Stone of Hunger" inscription, buried deep in the Elbe River in Czechia in Dđsin, 1616 reads: "If you see me, cry." ”
A "Stone of Hunger" appeared on the shores of Germany's Worms, which surfaced in 2018.
On August 3, the Val di Canas Reservoir in Spain dried up and "Stonehenge" was revealed.
The water level of Lake Vernuy in England has dropped, revealing the once submerged village of Ranusin.
This summer, Europe was hit by rare heat waves and droughts, with temperatures in many parts of the country hitting record highs, and droughts widened and worsened in early August. Due to the high temperature and no rain, the water level of European rivers and lakes plummeted and even dried up. This not only poses major problems for shipping and ship traffic, but also unexpectedly exposes some treasures, shipwrecks and historical sites that have long been submerged underwater to the sun.
According to a report released by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, drought or drought risk in nearly two-thirds of Europe has affected inland shipping, hydropower and agricultural harvests. Europe is experiencing what could be its worst drought in 500 years and is seeing no signs of drought easing.
European rivers: some have "bottomed out", and some have a depth of less than two meters
Since the end of June, successive heat waves have made Europeans feel unbearable heat, with temperatures in many parts of Southern, Western and Eastern Europe at record highs.
Hot and dry summers are characteristic of the Mediterranean climate in southern Europe, but Western Europe, which has a temperate maritime climate, has not had the usual cool humidity this summer. The data shows that Portugal, Spain, France and parts of the United Kingdom all experienced temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in July, with the United Kingdom breaking through 40 degrees Celsius for the first time. Most Western European households do not have air conditioning installed, and people can only endure the extreme heat.
The weather was hot, plus the rainfall was significantly lower than in previous years, and drought occurred in some parts of Europe. Parts of the Loire in France dried up almost completely, and some canals were forced to close. The Rhine, one of Europe's golden waterways, was reported in mid-August to show that it flows through the Cologne section of Germany to a depth of less than two metres. The water level of Italy's longest river, The Wave, is at an all-time low, and some river cruises have been suspended this summer.
Serbia: The wreckage of a German warship in World War II appears
Drought has reduced the level of the Danube. Near the town of Prahov in eastern Serbia, dozens of World War II-era warships remained exposed. Some of the hulls had become distorted, the ship's railings were broken, and the ship's weapons were still faintly visible.
The wrecks, which were confirmed to belong to Nazi Germany's Black Sea Fleet, sank in 1944, and some of them were also loaded with tons of ammunition and explosives, posing a threat to Danube shipping.
Some of the remaining turrets and bridges of the warships are relatively intact, and most of the rest are still buried under the sandbars of the river beach. The appearance of warships on the surface has also reduced the navigable portion of the Danube in the Prahovo Basin from 180 meters to 100 meters.
Italy: World War II bombs surface
Italy's longest river, the Po River, has seen record low water levels, and data from the Observatory shows that the area has been raining for more than 110 days. Ammunition that has been lying underwater for many years is also seeing the light of day.
In July, thousands of villagers in a village near the city of Mantua were evacuated, and experts dismantled and safely detonated a bomb left over from World War II that had surfaced. The bomb reportedly weighed more than 450 kilograms.
The water level of the Bo River dropped, revealing a barge used by the Germans during the war. The barge, called the Cebelo, sank in 1943. In the last two months, local residents have witnessed barges gradually surface. As the drought continued, the hull of the ship was increasingly exposed.
Czech Republic: Reproduction of the hydrological relic "Stone of Hunger"
Drought has brought a large number of "starvation stones" back to light. The "Starvation Stone", one of the oldest hydrological relics in Central Europe, is generally used to commemorate famine and warnings, and during droughts, these stones are embedded in rivers to mark the water level, as a warning to future generations that if the water level falls to this level again, they will have to endure famine-related suffering.
The "Stone of Hunger", buried deep in the Elbe river in CzechIask, has recently emerged, with the inscription of the years engraved on the stele, the oldest being an inscription from 1616, which reads in German: "If you see me, cry." ”
In mid-August, in Voms, Germany, low water levels caused "starvation stones" to appear on the shore. The stones also bear dates such as 1947, 1959 and 2018. The stone, inscribed with the number "2018", once surfaced.
Spain: Thousands of years ago, "Stonehenge" was revealed
In the central Spanish province of Cáceres, as the water level of the Valdecanias Reservoir plummeted, a circular "Stonehenge" emerged.
It is reported that the "Stonehenge" is known as the Guadal peralal Tomb, composed of 150 megaliths, and its history can be traced back to 5000 BC, at least 2000 years before the British "Stonehenge".
It was first discovered in 1926 by a German archaeologist. In 1963, the local rural development project was implemented to build a reservoir, and the stones were submerged. Since then, people have only seen it four times. Of course, these times also mean that droughts have caused the water level to become very low.
Not much is known about Spain's "Stonehenge," and its appearance this time could allow archaeologists to finally uncover its ancient secrets.
Previously, experts said that Spain's "Stonehenge" could disappear completely if it underwent a long period of immersion, because granite rocks are easily eroded. Castano, president of the Peraleda Cultural Association, recently launched a petition to remove the "prehistoric monument" from the water and where it can be preserved.
United Kingdom: The remains of ancient villages have been recreated after 50 years
Continued heat in Yorkshire, England, has caused the water level of the Bettings Reservoir to drop dramatically, and an ancient village that once sank underwater has reappeared.
It is understood that the reservoir built in 1956 flooded the village of Bettings, which has a centuries-old bridge that was once a bridge connecting Yorkshire and Lancashire, and the reservoir under the bridge supplies water to the city of Wakefield.
Yorkshire Water said in mid-August that the reservoir level had fallen below 50 per cent. Neil Duves, Director of The Yorkshire Water Authority, said: "The hot, dry climate has led to lower river levels in Yorkshire, with water levels in reservoirs around 20 per cent lower than in previous years at the same time. ”
The hot and dry weather also caused the water level of Vernuy Lake in central Wales, England, to drop, and the remains of the submerged village of Ranusin have reappeared in the past 50 years.
The village of Ranusin is located within what is now the Snow Dun Mountain National Park. In the 1880s, a reservoir was built to supply Liverpool with water, forming Lake Vernuy, which flooded the village of Ranusin.
Photos released by British media show that the stone bridges, stone walls and abandoned houses flooded by the lake are now clear at a glance. The last time the ruins of The village of Ranusin "emerged" from the water was during the Great Drought in The United Kingdom in 1976.
concern
Expert: Europe's worst drought shows no signs of abating
The European Commission's Joint Research Centre released a report in late August that Europe was experiencing what could be its worst drought in 500 years and still showed no signs of drought easing.
Nearly two-thirds of Europe is at risk of drought, and drought has worsened in some parts since August, affecting inland shipping, hydropower and agricultural harvests, the report shows.
Experts from the Joint Research Center believe that the current drought in Europe should be the worst in at least 500 years, and final data after the end of the summer will confirm this assessment.
According to the report, the severe drought that began at the beginning of this year and affected many parts of Europe has further widened and worsened since the beginning of August. The situation has worsened the most in northern Italy, southeastern France and regions affected by spring droughts, such as Hungary and Romania.
The drought has affected inland shipping and electricity production, with some crops experiencing reductions, the report said. This year's corn production will be 16 percent lower than the previous five-year average, and soybean and sunflower seed production will be down 15 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
Maria Gabriel, the European Commission's Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said severe droughts and heat waves had put unprecedented pressure on water levels across the EUROPEAN Union, with wildfires significantly above average and crop production severely affected.
The report predicts that by November this year, the European region adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea will be "warmer and drier" than in the same period of previous years; In August and October, parts of Europe may receive normal levels of rainfall, but may not be enough for these regions to fully recover from more than half a year's rainfall "deficit"; Drought conditions in the Alps may ease, but parts of Spain, Portugal and Croatia may continue to experience "drier than usual" weather.
Written by: Nandu reporter Shi Minglei
Photo credit: Xinhua News Agency, China News Service