Berlin,  Water levels of the Rhine river in Germany continued to dwindle, as authorities reported a drop of about 6 cm over the past 24 hours on Saturday.

According to the GDWS, a body responsible for waterways and shipping, the water level at Kaub in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, an important marker for shipping, now stands at 36 cm, with the authority predicting that it could fall to 30 cm by August 15, reports dpa news agency.

Freight and passenger ships have been struggling with low water levels in the Rhine for several weeks.

According to the GDWS, the water level at Kaub stood at 42 cm on Friday, about 5 cm lower than at the same time the previous day.

Authorities recently stated that shallow water barges could still navigate the river with water levels at Kaub of about 30 to 35 cm.

A GDWS official told the FAZ newspaper on Friday that navigability by ships carrying goods was unlikely to be affected by the drop.

He said that persistent extreme dryness could "theoretically" affect navigability.

"But I don't think it is likely," the official added.

Ships may have to carry considerably less cargo when the water level is low, meaning that it will become difficult to transport coal and oil on the Rhine.

"A lot will have to be transported by road and rail," he said.