Europe’s Dry Rivers Set for Little Relief from August Rains

By Joe Wertz (Bloomberg) — Europe’s first meaningful rains in weeks are unlikely to be widespread or sustained enough to quickly raise critically-low river levels, prolonging costly shipping and power supply restrictions as another spell of heat threatens to build.

Rain is expected this week across northern parts of the UK, the Alps and portions of central Europe, according to both government and commercial forecasts, with some areas set for heavy downpours. But precipitation will be sporadic in the regions hit hardest by drought and is unlikely to reverse the effects of weeks of record dryness and extreme heat.