Drought dries major European rivers to record lows

As treasure-hunters prowl extended river banks with metal-detectors, shipping companies warn of surging prices

Nazi German warships scuttled in the Danube River during the Second World War are resurfacing as water levels plunge — a striking sign of the extreme heat and drought gripping Europe this summer.

Vast tracts of many of Europe's largest rivers, including the Rhine, Rhone and Danube, have slowed to a trickle never before recorded in July, data from a European climate observatory showed Monday.

As Europe braces for yet another heatwave, the relentlessly dry conditions that have left the continent gasping for breath have also revealed many of the secrets once long-held by the River Danube.

The next phase of the blistering summer is here, with warnings of more deaths, record high temperatures, drying rivers, drought and nuclear power problems.