Ongoing drought conditions across Central Europe have kept Danube water levels well below the Danube Commission's low-water reference of 93 cm at key gauges like Budapest, where readings hovered near 25-30 cm in early September 2026. Limited upstream precipitation and above-average temperatures have sustained low flows, with short-term forecasts showing minimal recovery through the first half of the month. Trader consensus places the highest probability on a mid-to-late September rebound, followed closely by October, reflecting uncertainty in rainfall timing across the Alpine and catchment basins. Historical low-water episodes, such as 2018 and 2003, demonstrate that recovery often requires sustained precipitation rather than isolated events. A significant multi-day rain event upstream could accelerate normalization into the September 15-30 window, while continued dry patterns would favor October or later resolution.