Germany's disappearing rivers and lakes

Germany's historic Rhine river has approached record lows after months of dry weather. The western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, home to an area of the river known as the Middle Rhine, has been particularly affected. Around 70 percent of Germany is experiencing a drought, according to the German Meteorological Office.

The arid climate has caused some navigable parts of the Danube river in Germany to fall so low that ship operators have had to limit trips or cancel them entirely. The Danube, Europe's second-longest river, begins in the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg and empties into the Black Sea between Romania and Ukraine.

Lower water levels have led to thicker banks along the Elbe river that runs through eastern and northern Germany. The river originates in the Krkonoše Mountains in the eastern Czech Republic before running through the German states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.

The 63-kilometer (39-mile) Lake Constance on the border between Germany, Austria and Switzerland has receded to such a low level that a new island has appeared. Tourists have been able to see the 200-meter-long (656-foot) and 50-meter-wide sandy atoll for several months. The lake is the third-largest in Central Europe and a popular tourist destination.

Ships operating in smaller bodies of water have also run into difficulties. Ferries running in the Biggesee lake in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia have had to relocate their landing spots due to low water levels. Experts are unable to predict when the autumn drought will end.