Low Rhine weighed on German growth: central bank

Low water on the Rhine cuts German economic growth

Europe's biggest economy has shown some early signs of growth this year, after several years of stagnation. But climate-linked drought is weighing on industry, especially on the Rhine.

Low Rhine weighed on German growth: central bank

Like elsewhere in Europe, Germany endured an exceptionally hot summer with little rainfall. The Rhine, which flows through the country's industrial heartland and is a key transport route for goods ranging from steel to chemicals, became unnavigable in places as water levels sank to record lows. After a strong performance in the first half of the year, the Bundesbank predicted that the recovery of the long-stagnant Germany economy had been "inter…