Germany's largest lake continues to dry up even in the fall as water levels head toward new records, according to local media Tuesday.

Lake Constance, also shared by Austria and Switzerland, is currently experiencing historically low water levels, with no sign of improvement, the daily Bild reported.

Some shipping services have already been suspended as a result of low water levels, it said.

The Baden-Wuerttemberg State Agency for the Environment expects water levels to continue to drop, citing the ongoing drought in addition to natural seasonal variations.

The water level of Lake Constance at the city of Konstanz was 250 centimeters (98 inches) at 12.32 pm (1032GMT) on Sunday, which is 106 cm (41.7 in) below the long-term average of 356 cm (140 in) for Oct. 4. On Monday, the level continued to drop, and at 4 pm (1400GMT), it stood at just 248 cm (97.6 in).​​​​​​​

The water level of Lake Constance is particularly dependent on the River Rhine, which has also been grappling with a historic dry spell. Although this international waterway has around 200 tributaries, the Rhine is by far the most significant source of water, accounting for around 62% of the total.

'Current water level is unusually low'

Meanwhile, Teresa Gaertner, spokesperson for the municipal services of Konstanz, told Bild: “The current water level is unusually low.”

Never before has the summer water level of Lake Constance been as low as it is this year. Due to the low water level, there are restrictions and delays in shipping services.

“It happened from time to time that we were unable to serve certain docking sites for short periods,” the spokeswoman told the daily.

Gaertner acknowledged that shipping services in parts of the lake “had to be suspended until further notice.”

According to the report, the prolonged high temperatures -- reaching up to 40C (104F) in the summer -- caused enormous amounts of water to simply evaporate. There was also less snow, especially at lower elevations in the Alps.

Heavy rain in fall needed, expert says

Climatologist Karsten Brandt told the Bild: “If everything goes well, Lake Constance could have enough water again by March 2027. But for the water level to rise, we need heavy rain in the fall and a mild, wet winter.”

The problem is that “if it doesn’t rain heavily, we’ll slide back into the warm season and won’t be able to break out of the vicious cycle,” he added.​​​​​​​

Starting Thursday, temperatures are expected to drop, and rain is forecast, although not much is expected.