March 2025 was the driest March ever recorded in Germany, with upper soil moisture levels in some areas dropping up to 20% below the long-term minimum. By 12 April 2025, the Rhine River’s water level in Cologne had fallen to 1.54 metres– roughly half the typical level for this time of year.
Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite images from 6 April 2024 and 11 April 2025 highlight the impact, showing a noticeable increase in exposed sandbanks along the Rhine near Cologne due to the significantly lower water level in 2025.
