WMO report: Water reserves are dwindling, particularly in Europe; archive images

Sep 17, 2026

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RECORD DATE NOT STATED Landscape of the Louron Valley in the Hautes-Pyrénées 65 Louron Valley 65 View of the Caillaouas Dam Lake The reservoirwater reservoir powers the Soula power plant Occitanie Pyrenees-Méditerranée Midi-Pyrénées Hautes-Pyrénées 65 Loudenvielle Europe Western Europe France Copyright: xBetendxA Andia.frx 464684
Poland s Zywiec Lake reservoir with low water levels as dry weat ZYWIEC, POLAND- SEPTEMBER 15: An aerial view of recreational boats on dry soil on the Zywiec water reservoir with low water levels due to the ongoing drought in Poland in Zywiec, Poland on September 15, 2026. Zywiec Lake is a reservoir on the Sola River in southern Poland. It was created in 1966, when several villages in the area were flooded following the construction of a dam. The central Eastern European country has been heavily affected by the intense European drought and high temperatures, with several water reservoirs at low water levels and rivers establishing records for low levels. Omar Marques Anadolu Zywiec Poland. Editorial use only. Please get in touch for any o Copyright: x2026xAnadoluxOmarxMarquesx
Poland s Zywiec Lake reservoir with low water levels as dry weat ZYWIEC, POLAND- SEPTEMBER 15: An aerial view of the Zywiec water reservoir with low water levels due to the ongoing drought in Poland in Zywiec, Poland on September 15, 2026. Zywiec Lake is a reservoir on the Sola River in southern Poland. It was created in 1966, when several villages in the area were flooded following the construction of a dam. The central Eastern European country has been heavily affected by the intense European drought and high temperatures, with several water reservoirs at low water levels and rivers establishing records for low levels. Omar Marques Anadolu Zywiec Poland. Editorial use only. Please get in touch for any other usage. Copyright: x2026xAnadoluxOmarxMarquesx
Poland s Zywiec Lake reservoir with low water levels as dry weat ZYWIEC, POLAND- SEPTEMBER 15: An aerial view of recreational boats on dry soil on the Zywiec water reservoir with low water levels due to the ongoing drought in Poland in Zywiec, Poland on September 15, 2026. Zywiec Lake is a reservoir on the Sola River in southern Poland. It was created in 1966, when several villages in the area were flooded following the construction of a dam. The central Eastern European country has been heavily affected by the intense European drought and high temperatures, with several water reservoirs at low water levels and rivers establishing records for low levels. Omar Marques Anadolu Zywiec Poland. Editorial use only. Please get in touch for any o Copyright: x2026xAnadoluxOmarxMarquesx
Moldau-Stausee Lipno. Horni Plana, Tschechien Vltava Reservoir Lipno. Horni Plana, Czech Republic Copyright: imageBROKER ErichxTeister ibxete19089457.jpg
Die Schluchtlandschaft am Piva-See ? malerische Balkan-Natur mit Blick auf türkisfarbenes Wasser. Luftaufnahme des Piva-Sees in Montenegro mit üppig grünen Bergen. (License=RF) Copyright: xZoonar.com MathiasxCalabottax 25513578
Die Flussbiegung von Rijeka Crnojevica im Nationalpark Skadar-See. Scenic Balkan nature landscape with clear blue water and dense forests (License=RF) Copyright: xZoonar.com MathiasxCalabottax 25491164
Ufer des Hevesee, Naturschutzgebiet, Möhnetalsperre, Naturpark Arnsberger Wald, Sauerland, Westfalen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Deutschland Banks of the Hevesee, nature reserve, Möhnetalsperre, Arnsberger Wald nature park Park, Sauerland, Westphalia, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Copyright: imageBROKER WilfriedxWirth ibxdwh18803582.jpg
Luftaufnahme des Plastira-Stausees, umgeben von mit Kiefernwäldern bewachsenen Hügeln und Bergen in der Region Karditsa in Griechenland, für ein Reisekonzept rund um die Natur des Mittelmeerraums Aerial view of Lake Plastira reservoir surrounded by pine forest hills and mountains in Karditsa region Greece for Mediterranean nature travel concept. (License=RF) Copyright: xZoonar.com MarynaxKoptyevax 25442233
Historic summer heatwave drains southern Poland waterways ZEMBRZYCE, POLAND - AUGUST 17: A complex tangle of dead, gnarled tree branches sits stranded on an expansive field of deeply cracked, parched earth beneath an arched railway bridge in Zembrzyce, southern Poland, on August 17, 2026. A record-breaking summer heatwave and acute lack of rainfall have caused the Skawa River water levels to plummet by over a meter, transforming what is usually a submerged reservoir basin into a dried-out landscape. The critical hydrological drought has forced regional authorities to enforce emergency water restrictions across the Malopolska province. Artur Widak Anadolu Zembrzyce Poland. Editorial use only. Please get in touch for any other usage. Copyright: x2026xAnadoluxArturxWidakx
View of Schluchsee in the evening sun; Schluchsee, Germany, July 12, 2026. An aerial view taken from a drone shows Schluchsee in the Black Forest during the golden hour. The calm water is surrounded by dense coniferous forests. Copyright: xAndreasxHaasx
August 12, 2026: View of the water at the Oder Dam near Bad Lauterberg in the district of Göttingen, Lower Saxony.
Bergsee, Berge, Spiegelung, sonnig, Sommer, Trockenheit, Niedrigwasser, Dürre, Boote, Luftbild, August 2026, Sylvensteinspeicher, Sylvensteinsee, Isar, Lenggries, Bayerische Alpen, Bayern, Deutschland Mountain lake, mountains, reflection, sunny, summer, drought, low water, drought, boats, aerial view, August 2026, Sylvenstein Dam, Sylvensteinsee, Isar, Lenggries, Bavarian Alps, Bavaria, Germany Copyright: imageBROKER MartinaxMelzer ibxmmm18731920.jpg
Panoramablick über den Lipno-See mit ruhigem Wasser und blauem Sommerhimmel in Südböhmen, Tschechien Peaceful shoreline view across Lake Lipno with calm reflections, rocky coast and blue summer sky in South Bohemia. (License=RF) Copyright: xZoonar.com AnnabellxGsödlx 25410036
Flug über die Ruhr und den Rurstausee — Schwammenauel, Nordeifel, Gemeinde Simmerath, Region Aachen, Deutschland Flight over the Ruhr River and the Rur Reservoir – Schwammenauel, northern Eifel, Municipality of Simmerath, Aachen region, Germany Copyright: imageBROKER MartinxMoxter ibxmox18658098.jpg
Betonbrücke vor dem Hintergrund eines türkisfarbenen Stausees. A horizontal outdoor shot of a long concrete bridge with high support pillars spanning over a turquoise water reservoir surrounded by lush green hills, ideal for infrastructure and travel designs. (License=RF) Copyright: xZoonar.com EkaterinaxMitsenx 25333596
Blick von erhöhter Standort auf 1933 Meter über Meereshöhe gelegene 200 Meter hohe Kölnbreinsperre höchste Staumauer in Österreich. links Luftseite dem Wasser abgewandte Seite, rechts Speicherbecken Kölnbreinspeicher mit Stausee, Maltatal, Kärnten, Österreich View from an elevated location at the 200-meter high Kölnbrein dam highest dam in Austria, 1933 meters above sea level. Side facing away from the water on the left air side, Kölnbreinspeicher reservoir with reservoir, Malta Valley, Carinthia, Austria Copyright: imageBROKER FrankxSchneider ibxfrs18541935.jpg
Drohnenaufnahme von Loch Sealbhanach und Loch Mullardoc, einem Wasserreservoir mit Wasserkraftwerk in einem Seitental von Glen Affric, Highlands, Schottland, Großbritannien Aerial drone photo of Loch Sealbhanach and Loch Mullardoc, a water reservoir with hydro electric power station in a side Valley of Glen Affric, Highlands, Scotland, UK Copyright: imageBROKER Unknown ibxqmi18170220.jpg
Asprokremmos Reservoir, View at the Northern section, Cyprus, Anarita Paphos Asprokremmos Reservoir, View of The Northern section, Cyprus, Anarita Paphos BLWS750828 Copyright: xblickwinkel M.xWoikex
Der Edersee, Eder Stausee, im Naturpark Kellerwald-Edersee in Nordhessen. Luftaufnahme. Edertal, Hessen, Deutschland The Edersee, Eder Reservoir, in the Kellerwald-Edersee nature park Park in northern Hesse. aerial view. Edertal, Hesse, Germany Copyright: imageBROKER MarkusxBeck iblmbk18498821.jpg
Ein stiller Stausee mit umliegenden grünen Wäldern und einem strahlend blauen Himmel, Pumpspeicherkraftwerk Langenprozelten, Gemünden am Main, Landkreis Main-Spessart, Spessart, Mainfranken, Unterfranken, Bayern, Deutschland A quiet reservoir with surrounding green forests and a bright blue sky, Langenprozelten pumped storage power plant, Gemünden am Main, Main-Spessart district, Spessart, Mainfranken, Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany Copyright: imageBROKER RaimundxLinke ibxrde17608660.jpg
Luftaufnahme eines trockenen Flussbetts umgeben von herbstlichen Wäldern, geleerte Schwarzenbachtalsperre, Forbach, Schwarzwald, Deutschland Aerial view of a dry riverbed surrounded by autumnal forests, emptied Schwarzenbach dam, Forbach, Black Forest, Germany Copyright: imageBROKER ManuelxKamuf ibxmlk17486125.jpg
Herbstfarben über dem Garreg Ddu Dam, Elan Valley, Caban Coch Reservoir, Rhayader, Wales, Großbritannien Autumn colors over Garreg Ddu Dam, Elan Valley, Caban-Coch Reservoir, Rhayader, Wales, UK Copyright: imageBROKER MaciejxOlszewski ibxmao16727866.jpg
Ausblick auf die Rappbodetalsperre im Harz, Wendefurth, Sachsen-Anhalt, Deutschland View of the Rappbode Reservoir in the Harz Mountains, Wendefurth, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany Copyright: imageBROKER AndreasxVitting ibxavi16623358.jpg
Herbst über dem Garreg Ddu Dam von einer Drohne aus, Elan Valley, Caban Coch Reservoir, Rhayader, Wales, Großbritannien Autumn over Garreg Ddu Dam from a drone, Elan Valley, Caban-Coch Reservoir, Rhayader, Wales, UK Copyright: imageBROKER MaciejxOlszewski ibxmao15871954.jpg

Images in this collection

Moldau-Stausee Lipno. Horni Plana, Tschechien Vltava Reservoir Lipno. Horni Plana, Czech Republic Copyright: imageBROKER ErichxTeister ibxete19089457.jpg

Die Schluchtlandschaft am Piva-See ? malerische Balkan-Natur mit Blick auf türkisfarbenes Wasser. Luftaufnahme des Piva-Sees in Montenegro mit üppig grünen Bergen. (License=RF) Copyright: xZoonar.com MathiasxCalabottax 25513578

Die Flussbiegung von Rijeka Crnojevica im Nationalpark Skadar-See. Scenic Balkan nature landscape with clear blue water and dense forests (License=RF) Copyright: xZoonar.com MathiasxCalabottax 25491164

View of Schluchsee in the evening sun; Schluchsee, Germany, July 12, 2026. An aerial view taken from a drone shows Schluchsee in the Black Forest during the golden hour. The calm water is surrounded by dense coniferous forests. Copyright: xAndreasxHaasx

August 12, 2026: View of the water at the Oder Dam near Bad Lauterberg in the district of Göttingen, Lower Saxony.

Panoramablick über den Lipno-See mit ruhigem Wasser und blauem Sommerhimmel in Südböhmen, Tschechien Peaceful shoreline view across Lake Lipno with calm reflections, rocky coast and blue summer sky in South Bohemia. (License=RF) Copyright: xZoonar.com AnnabellxGsödlx 25410036

Asprokremmos Reservoir, View at the Northern section, Cyprus, Anarita Paphos Asprokremmos Reservoir, View of The Northern section, Cyprus, Anarita Paphos BLWS750828 Copyright: xblickwinkel M.xWoikex

Der Edersee, Eder Stausee, im Naturpark Kellerwald-Edersee in Nordhessen. Luftaufnahme. Edertal, Hessen, Deutschland The Edersee, Eder Reservoir, in the Kellerwald-Edersee nature park Park in northern Hesse. aerial view. Edertal, Hesse, Germany Copyright: imageBROKER MarkusxBeck iblmbk18498821.jpg

Herbstfarben über dem Garreg Ddu Dam, Elan Valley, Caban Coch Reservoir, Rhayader, Wales, Großbritannien Autumn colors over Garreg Ddu Dam, Elan Valley, Caban-Coch Reservoir, Rhayader, Wales, UK Copyright: imageBROKER MaciejxOlszewski ibxmao16727866.jpg

Ausblick auf die Rappbodetalsperre im Harz, Wendefurth, Sachsen-Anhalt, Deutschland View of the Rappbode Reservoir in the Harz Mountains, Wendefurth, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany Copyright: imageBROKER AndreasxVitting ibxavi16623358.jpg

Herbst über dem Garreg Ddu Dam von einer Drohne aus, Elan Valley, Caban Coch Reservoir, Rhayader, Wales, Großbritannien Autumn over Garreg Ddu Dam from a drone, Elan Valley, Caban-Coch Reservoir, Rhayader, Wales, UK Copyright: imageBROKER MaciejxOlszewski ibxmao15871954.jpg