Bourne said many regions in France were going through a “historic situation” as the country endured its third heatwave this summer. “The exceptional drought we are currently experiencing is depriving many municipalities of water and is a tragedy for our farmers, ecosystems and biodiversity,” she said in a statement. Weather forecasts suggest that the heat, which increases evaporation and water needs, could continue for the next 15 days, possibly making the situation even more alarming, the statement said. The government’s crisis unit will be responsible for monitoring the situation in the worst-hit areas and coordinating measures such as transporting drinking water to certain places. A fisherman is seen standing Friday on cracked and dry land on the shores of Lake Le Broc as a historic drought hits France. (Eric Gaillard/Reuters) It will also monitor the effects of the drought on France’s energy production, transport infrastructure and agriculture. The drought may force French energy giant EDF to reduce power output at nuclear plants, which use river water to cool reactors.
Drinking water is a priority
France now has 62 areas with restrictions on water use due to the lack of rain. This photo taken on Thursday shows a pharmacy sign showing a temperature of 39C in Wittenheim, France. On Friday, French Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne said the country was facing the most severe drought in its history. (Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images) Ecological transition minister Christophe Béchu said during a visit to southeastern France that more than 100 municipalities can no longer provide drinking water at the tap and must be supplied by trucks. “The worse the situation, the more we prioritize drinking water over other uses,” he said. The month of July was characterized by a record deficit of rainfall in France. With just 9.7mm of rain according to national weather service Meteo France, rainfall was down 84% on average figures for the same month over the past three decades. A woman uses an umbrella to protect herself from the sun’s rays in a Paris square on Wednesday. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters) Meteo France said July 2022 was ranked as the second driest month since records began in 1958-1959. Farmers nationwide are reporting greater difficulty feeding livestock due to a lack of fresh grass and seeing yield declines, especially in non-irrigated fields and water-intensive crops such as corn.
July heat record for Portugal
Also on Friday, Portugal’s meteorological service reported that the country saw its hottest July on record last month. Farmer Christophe Trufault checks a field of dried corn on Wednesday in Courcemont, France. (Jean-Francois Monier/AFP/Getty Images) The heat worsened Portugal’s own drought, with 45 percent of the mainland in “extreme drought” – the highest classification – and the rest in “severe” drought, the second highest, by the end of July . Many other parts of western Europe also suffered terrible conditions in the early summer, and scientists say climate change will continue to make the weather more extreme. Southern Europe’s climate is changing to resemble that of North Africa, experts say. Portugal’s meteorological agency, known by its acronym IPMA, said July was the warmest since national records began in 1931. The average temperature was 25.14 C, he said. That was almost three points higher than the expected July average. National rainfall was 3mm, which was about 22 percent of normal, IMPA said.
