HAMBURG (Reuters) – Parts of the river Rhine in south Germany remain closed to shipping on Monday after a rise in water levels following recent heavy rain, navigation authorities said on Monday.
Rhine river shipping remains stopped around Maxau in south Germany, the German inland waterways navigation agency WSA said.
Water levels are falling but not as fast as hoped. The southern sector of the river was closed on Wednesday.
High water means vessels do not have enough space to sail under bridges and the blockage prevents vessels sailing to Switzerland. Shipping on northern sections of the river is operating normally including the important points of Duisburg, Cologne and Mannheim.
Falling water levels mean the river is expected to reopen to shipping on Tuesday afternoon, said the water level forecasting service of the Rheinland-Pfalz state government in south Germany.
The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities including minerals, coal and oil products such as heating oil, grains and animal feed.
The Rhine has repeatedly suffered from low water levels because of unusually dry summers in recent years.
(Reporting by Michael Hogan; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
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