Articles by William Wilkes

Update: Rescuers Call Off Efforts to Find Missing Sailors After Cargo Ship Sinks

Rescuers abandoned efforts to find four missing sailors a day after a British cargo ship sank in the North Sea following a collision with a larger vessel. “Due to the numerous operational resources – ships and helicopters – in the …

Rhine River’s Low Water Levels Provide ‘Further Evidence’ of Climate Change

The cost of shipping fuel along the Rhine river has surged as low water levels curb barges’ carrying capacity following a hot, dry September. The river is fed by glaciers and rain. But Alpine ice flows are declining each year …

Broken Wheel Causes Derailment of Train Blocking Swiss Tunnel

The derailment that blocked the Gotthard tunnel in Switzerland last week was caused by a broken wheel on the freight train, according to investigators. The Swiss Accident Investigation Service said its investigators had found pieces of the train’s wheel at …

Historic Drought, Low River Levels Threaten to Cripple Trade Across Europe

In the midst of an arid summer that set heat records across Europe, the continent’s rivers are evaporating. The Rhine — a pillar of the German, Dutch and Swiss economies for centuries — is set to become virtually impassable at …

DHL Operated Boeing Jet Breaks in Two After Skidding Off Runway

A Boeing Co. 757 cargo jet operated by DHL broke in two after skidding off the runway at Juan Santamaria International airport in Costa Rica. The crew reported hydraulic problems with the 22-year-old aircraft after takeoff and made an emergency …

Germany’s Rhine River at Dangerously Low Levels, Which Could Disrupt Shipping

Germany’s Rhine River is entering dry summer months with water levels at their lowest in two decades, prompting fears of shipping disruption on Europe’s most important inland waterway. After spring showers failed to show in Germany, the official water level …

German Economy Relies on Rhine River – But Levels Are Low Without April Rainfall

Germany’s spring showers haven’t materialized this year, and that’s drying out the country’s most important river, prompting concerns that key industrial goods might have trouble making it to their destination. Typically one of the wettest months, Europe’s biggest economy has …

Climate Change Blamed for Europe’s Latest Heatwave

Europe’s latest summer heatwave broke heat records just weeks after the continent had its hottest ever June, fueling concern that a shifting climate is triggering more extreme weather. Germany probably set a new all-time temperature record of 42.6 degrees Celsius …

Rhine River Shipping Faces Another Historic Shutdown as Drought Hits Water Levels

The bustling boat traffic on Europe’s Rhine river ground to a halt for the first time in living memory last year, as shrinking alpine glaciers and severe drought made the key transport artery impassable. Those historic conditions could be repeated …

Europe Faces Heatwave with London and Paris Expected to Break July Records

Europe is facing a second heatwave this summer, just weeks after the hottest June on record, intensifying concern over climate change and the rise in extreme weather events. Swathes of northwest Europe will struggle to remain cool as a blast …