Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant shuts down due to extreme heat and low water levels

The recent extreme heat in Central Europe has caused the Danube to dry up. The river water is used to cool the reactors in the Paks nuclear power plant.

"As a result, the power plant's output will drop to just 240 megawatts, and tomorrow it will shut down completely for the first time in 44 years," writes Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar on X.

Paks is the country's only nuclear power plant and normally accounts for a significant part of Hungary's electricity supply. At the same time, temperatures are expected to rise to around 40 degrees in the coming days, which risks putting further pressure on the electricity system.

The Hungarian government is now urging businesses, public institutions and households to reduce their electricity use during the evening peak hours between 5pm and 10pm. The government is also considering mandatory electricity restrictions for larger businesses from Monday.

The low water levels have also affected shipping, tourism and water supply. According to the authorities, restrictions on water use have been introduced in more than 100 towns and villages.

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has announced that the country is monitoring the energy situation and that they are willing to help if needed, reports Al Jazeera.

The heat and drought in Europe have also led to large forest fires. In Greece, the rescue service is fighting two major fires. Partly on Crete and partly outside Athens where 100 homes have been destroyed in the flames. Gironde in France has also been affected, but the fire is said to be under control on Sunday.