BUDAPEST, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Danube River's water level in Budapest fell to a record low on Tuesday, after Hungary experienced its driest summer in more than a century, according to local authorities.
Gabriella Siklos, spokesperson for Hungary's General Directorate of Water Management, said the official gauge in Budapest recorded a water level of just 1 cm, the Hungarian news agency MTI reported.
Siklos explained that the reading means the river's surface stood just 1 cm above the gauge's artificially defined zero point, established by engineers in the 19th century. The river's actual depth near Budapest remained around 3 to 3.5 meters on average. The low water level has restricted navigation for some larger vessels.
The previous record low in Budapest was 28 cm, recorded at the end of July this year.
The newest record came after Hungary experienced its driest summer since 1901. The national meteorological service HungaroMet said that the country received only 74.1 mm of rainfall in the summer, equivalent to 36 percent of the 1991-2020 average.
The summer was also Hungary's second-hottest since 1901, according to HungaroMet.
