There are fears the water levels in Rhine could fall below critical mark

The river Rhine is pictured with low water in Cologne, Germany (Martin Meissner/AP)

Officials in Germany say water levels on the Rhine could reach a critically low point in the coming days – making the transport of goods along the river, including coal and petrol, increasingly difficult.

Weeks of dry weather have turned several of Europe’s major waterways into trickles, posing a headache for German factories and power plants that rely on deliveries by ship.