Some 10% of all goods imported to Switzerland come via the Rhine and Basel.
Keystone
As unseasonably warm and dry conditions persist, container ships are no longer able to move in and out of Switzerland’s key port on the Rhine, in Basel.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SDA-Keystone/dos
العربية
ar
المستوى المُنخَفِض لمياه نهر الراين يعيق مرور السّفن
Since Friday, the port in northern Switzerland has been forced to suspend the movements of container ships due to persistent low water levels.
Heinz Amacker, head of the Danser Schweiz shipping company, told public broadcaster SRF that he had never seen such a situation before; all eight of his vessels remain docked and immobile.
According to SRF, which also reported on the growing problem some weeks ago, some 10% of all goods imported to Switzerland pass through the port of Basel. These goods will now have to be transported by rail or – more expensively – by road.
Low water levels are in evidence across the country as a historically hot and dry summer has mellowed just slightly into an Autumn of t-shirt weather and minimal precipitation.
Switzerland’s second-largest river, the Aare, is also showing signs of drying, with patches of stony riverbed to be seen in the capital, Bern. Measurements at the Murgenthal station showed that the current level of 398.37 metres above sea level is 22 centimetres lower than the usual mid-October average, reports the Solothurner Zeitung paper.
And though Swiss water supplies, buoyed by underground sources, are unlikely to come under pressure, fish and vegetation have been suffering from the lower levels and higher temperatures of the rivers.
Earlier, in August, when the heat wave pushed the water temperature in parts of the Rhine above 27 degrees Celsius (80.6 degrees Fahrenheit), thousands of fish were killed, while cold-water-loving trout and grayling were forced to move away from usual habitats to escape the heat.
Conditions in Switzerland are set to remain warm, sunny, and dry until early next week, according to MeteoSwiss.
More
More
Fish dying in the Rhine
This content was published on
With water temperatures exceeding 27 degree Celsius (80.6 Fahrenheit), large numbers of fish have died in the Rhine.
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
Sylvain Saudan, ‘skier of the impossible’, dies aged 87
This content was published on
The Swiss father of extreme skiing pioneered descents from the Alps to the Himalayas – and became the sport’s first star.
Hayek family buys additional Swatch shares for nearly CHF11 million
This content was published on
Following the acquisition of registered shares worth over CHF20.6 million on Monday, the Hayek family made another purchase on Tuesday.
Suicide capsule to be used in Switzerland this year, says euthanasia organisation
This content was published on
The organisation “The Last Resort” has confirmed that the suicide capsule Sarco is to be used in Switzerland. This should happen this year, it said.
Ukrainian children flown to Switzerland for cancer treatment
This content was published on
The Swiss air rescue service Rega flew two Ukrainian children with cancer to Switzerland from a hospital in Kyiv hit by Russian missiles.
Swiss Solidarity raises over CHF10 million for victims of extreme weather
This content was published on
The money raised will be used to help those affected by the recent storms and flooding in the cantons of Ticino, Graubünden, and Valais.
Swiss giant Roche given green light for lung cancer drug in Canada
This content was published on
According to a recent study, Roche’s Alecensaro reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 76% compared to chemotherapy alone.
Swiss luxury watch market hit hard by China-led slump
This content was published on
Sales of Swiss-made luxury watches are in sharp retreat as nervous consumers reconsider splashing out on expensive timepieces and demand slumps.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss glaciers shrink further after extreme 2018 weather
This content was published on
Weather extremes over the past year, including one of the hottest summers on record, was devastating to the nation’s glaciers, a study has shown.
This content was published on
Heavy rain and flooding interrupted the long-running hot and dry spell in some parts of Switzerland, but the drought continues.
This content was published on
The town of Sion in southwestern Switzerland registered 36.2°C (97.2°Fahrenheit) on Sunday, according to the local weather station. The record for Sion is 37.8°C. And in 2003, temperatures rose to 41.5°C in southeastern Switzerland and 39.7°C in Geneva in 2015. Meteonews expects afternoon temperatures above 35°C and at least 20°C at night in lower-lying regions…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.