In pictures: Drought in Europe exposes sunken ships, lost villages and ominous 'hunger stones'

Europe has been suffering weeks of drought, with persistent heatwaves leading to evacuations and deaths.

Rivers and lakes have dried, causing major problems for shipping and other vessels. The receding water levels have also revealed some usually-buried treasures.

The most ominous of these are "hunger stones", engraved at the waterline of rivers during previous droughts as a warning to future generations that when the stones are above water, hardship lies ahead.

Most of the stones have reappeared on the banks of the river Elbe, which flows from the Czech Republic through Germany.

One stone, which was first carved as far back as the 15th Century, also surfaced in 1616, when locals inscribed into it the words "if you see me, cry".

Low water levels in the Danube in Serbia have revealed the sunken remains of World War Two ships, still loaded with explosives.

The ships, found near the town of Prahovo, were part of a Nazi fleet sunk in 1944. More are expected to emerge as the drought continues.

Read More : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62619397