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Rhine River Water Levels Outlook, Week of August 18, 2025

Lorelei Rock and terraced vineyards rising above the deep aqua Rhine River, grapevines trained along a ferry handrail in the foreground, aged oak cask texture overlay, bright midday sun and crisp shadows.
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The Middle Rhine's key gauge at Kaub is around 4.0 ft (1.23 m), which supports normal navigation for river cruises this week. 1 Forecasts for the corridor around Koblenz and Mainz show little to no rain through the next seven days, so levels should stay steady. 23 Kaub is the main low-water pinch point on the route, and current readings sit well above the more restrictive thresholds, so travelers should expect routine operations while still monitoring pre-departure emails. 4

Current Conditions

Primary gauge: Kaub (Pegel Kaub). 1 4.0 ft (1.23 m), normal range data unavailable. Risk level Normal given the latest reading and the fact that the most limiting conditions typically occur when Kaub drops toward roughly 2.5 ft [0.75 m]. 14

Seven-Day Outlook

Chart unavailable. Data summary: Daily precipitation amounts for Koblenz and Mainz are near zero through day seven, with several dry, sunny days. 23 With minimal runoff expected, a flat gauge trend is favored, so the call is Normal for the next 7 days. 23

Three-Week Risk Forecast

PeriodLikelihood of DisruptionConfidence
Days 1 to 7NormalHigh
Days 8 to 14NormalMedium
Days 15 to 21NormalLow

Week one looks dry and stable. Some model-guided daily forecasts hint at thunderstorms returning late in week two, but single-day storm bursts rarely cause cruise disruptions on this reach unless they persist over multiple days, which is not indicated today. 23

Cruise-Line Responses

Data unavailable.

Traveler Advice

If you are already booked to sail between Basel, the Middle Rhine, and Amsterdam in the next two weeks, plan on normal operations. Still, check your line's app or emails 48 to 72 hours before embarkation in case of minor timing adjustments.

If you are shopping near-term dates, this is a favorable window. Choose fares or insurance that allow small itinerary tweaks without heavy penalties, and confirm your line's low-water contingency, which typically involves short coach hops if a localized shallow stretch develops.

For trips more than three weeks out, keep monitoring but avoid changes based on today's outlook. The Kaub gauge is the key signal to watch, and current readings are comfortably above typical restriction points. 4

Methodology

We use Germany's official PEGELONLINE gauges for observations and public daily forecast pages for the Rhine corridor, converting meters to feet at 1 ft = 0.3048 m. 15

Disclaimer

Forecasts beyond ten days are probabilistic and may change without notice. This information does not constitute financial or insurance advice.

Sources

  1. WSV PEGELONLINE, Rhine gauges overview, Kaub current reading
  2. Timeanddate, Koblenz 14-day forecast with daily precipitation amounts
  3. Timeanddate, Mainz 14-day forecast with daily precipitation amounts
  4. Kaub gauging station, role and thresholds on the Middle Rhine
  5. NIST Handbook 44, exact meter-foot conversion, 1 ft = 0.3048 m