Hungary's only nuclear plant close to shutdown as the Danube falls to record lows

Prime Minister Péter Magyar warned on Monday that the hardest five days lie ahead as water levels in parts of the Danube fall low enough to force the Paks nuclear plant into its first shutdown in 44 years of operation. The plant, which supplies close to half of Hungary's electricity, draws cooling water from the river and needs large volumes even once powered down. In Romania two reactors were already shut in July for the same reason, prompting a nationwide state of emergency over electricity production, and authorities there are now diverting water towards one of their nuclear plants using controlled explosions.

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