Europe's Drought: Will It End River Cruises?
(CNN) -- Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the pandemic-snarled water, Europe is having another cataclysmic summer.
This time, it's not pandemic red tape, but what looks set to be the continent's worst drought in history. Around 63 percent of the land across the EU and UK had either drought warnings or alerts, according to the EU's European Drought Observatory last week -- and that figure was issued before the UK declared a drought in eight out of 14 areas.
New alerts are pouring in every day.While the landscape is tinder-dry, water levels are plummeting. Rivers and lakes are drying up -- and as well that having devastating effects on trade and industry, it's also hitting a sector that was already on its knees thanks to the pandemic: tourism.
Worse, experts say that this is a worrying sign of things to come.Drama on the RhineThe 766-mile Rhine is one of Europe's most important trade routes, with container ships plying their way around its looping bends.It's also a classic cruise itinerary.
