A brown alert level has been declared in several regions due to critical low water
In Ukraine, from October 16 to 30, 2026, a low-intensity decrease in water levels to the lowest values on record is expected on several rivers. The Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center has introduced a third, brown danger level for several regions due to the threat of further water depletion. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine (Ірина Костенко) citing the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
From October 16 to 30, a prolonged decline in water levels will be recorded across Ukraine’s waterways. Specialists have identified the risk of reaching record lows throughout the entire history of meteorological observations in various regions of the country.
Regions Affected by the Hydrological Threat
The warning covers the Dniester basin in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, and Khmelnytskyi regions, as well as the San subbasin in Lviv region. In addition, low water conditions will affect rivers in the Western Bug subbasin in Lviv and Volyn regions, and the Prypyat subbasin in Volyn, Rivne, and Zhytomyr regions. The Tisa subbasin in Zakarpattia region is also included in the list.
A third danger level, marked in brown, is in effect across these territories. Experts emphasize the probability of a complete absence of runoff in areas of small rivers with heavy vegetation overgrowth in their channels.
Characteristics of the Brown Danger Level
In the classification of land water bodies in Ukraine, the brown color corresponds to the highest degree of threat and signals a critical deficit of moisture. In contrast, the red danger level indicates the opposite situation, namely an excess of water or a flood.
In practice, such a condition means water levels dropping below the design marks of water intake facilities and navigation limits on navigable rivers. Such phenomena obstruct the normal functioning of infrastructure and pose a threat to ecosystems.
Photo: RBC-Ukraine
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