Rhine could warm by 4°C by 2100, scientists warn

The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to climate change, scientists warn. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox This is the result of an analysis by Germany's Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG) and the Dutch research institute Deltares on behalf of the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR). "The Rhine is warming significantly as a result of climate change," their study states. There are already effects on the ecology and economy that will intensify in the future. The rise in water temperature is directly linked to the rise in air temperatures due to climate change, according to a press release. The researchers simulated the development of water temperatures and carried out modelling calculations. They expect the water in the Rhine to warm by between 1.1-1.8°C by the middle of the century. "By 2100, the average annual water temperature could even warm by ...