Rivers are drying across Europe as water levels drop due to a historic drought. Now, warnings are emerging from the riverbeds.
These are boulders also known as “Hungersteine” which translates to “Hunger Stones” according to the Miami Herald.
This information comes from a local German reporter named Olaf Koens, who tweeted about the stones on August 11.
The tweet translates to, “Horrifying. Hungersteine are surfacing due to the drought in European rivers. Macabre warnings from our 15th century ancestors about famine.”
What are the Hunger Stones that offer warnings due to the drought?
One stone is located in the Elbe River that runs from the Cachia mountains through Germany.
It comes out into the North Sea.
The stone is from the year 1616, which isn’t visible unless there’s a drought.
It states, “Wenn du mich seehst, dann weine” which translates to “When you see me, weep.”
The stones were seen during a drought in 2018 and are known as hydrological landmarks.
They can be found throughout all of Europe.
The stones are marked with the years that people suffered as well as the names of whoever marked them.
The messages describe what happens due to drought.
Many messages describe bad harvests, little food, higher prices, and how poor people are hungry.
This was all discovered from a 2013 study by a team of Czech researchers.
What does the drought mean for Europe in 2022?
This drought is the worst one in 500 years for Europe, according to experts.
The Rhine River, Po River, and Thames River are all drying out.
Low rivers have a major impact on the economy, because when they’re at a lower level cargo ships need to carry less weight.
This makes shipping more expensive.
High temps and low rainfall are to blame.
Have drought conditions improved? Yes, but much of Finger Lakes still ‘abnormally dry’ and in need of rain
Samantha edits our personal finance and consumer news section. Have a question or lead? Send it to [email protected].