French Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne made the stern remark on Friday amid the announcement of the country’s plans to deal with the ongoing drought and the third heat wave of the summer. MUST READ: What to do on a day trip to sunflowers The historic event has reportedly left more than 100 communities in need of drinking water. Forecasters said dry conditions are expected to persist for at least the next two weeks. “The exceptional drought we are experiencing right now is depriving many municipalities of water and is a tragedy for our farmers, ecosystems and biodiversity,” Bourne said in a written statement Friday. (Estelle Ruiz/Hans Lucas via Reuters Connect) The conditions prompted the French government to set up a crisis team. The unit will closely monitor the situation in the worst-hit areas and coordinate operations such as providing drinking water. The team will also monitor the effects of the drought on the country’s energy production, transport infrastructure and agriculture. It has been reported that at least 62 regions of the country have water usage restrictions due to the drought. July was the country’s driest month since March 1961, according to Météo-France, reporting just 9.7mm of rain. Effects of drought in #Bearn France. Local lakes are drying up and there doesn’t seem to be any relief in sight, with temperatures in the mid-30s forecast for next week. We saw hundreds of clams on the shores of the lake. The grass also looks very, very dry. Drought effects in Florentin🇺🇦🌻 on Twitter: “Drought effects in #Bearn France. Local lakes are drying up and there’s no sign of relief, with temperatures in the mid 30s forecast for next week. We saw hundreds mussels on the banks of the lake. The grass also looks very, very dry. pic.twitter.com/HEohP769qi / Twitter” France. Local lakes are drying up and there doesn’t seem to be any relief in sight, with temperatures in the mid-30s forecast for next week. We saw hundreds of clams on the shores of the lake. The grass also looks very, very dry. Florida on the shores of the lake. The grass also looks very, very dry. pic.twitter.com/HEohP769qi / Twitter” — Florentin🇺🇦🌻 (@Florentius19) Florentin🇺🇦🌻 on Twitter: “The effects of the drought in #Bearn France. Local lakes are drying up and there’s no sign of relief on the horizon, with temperatures in the mid-30s for the next week. We saw hundreds of clams on the banks of the lake. The grass also looks very, very dry. pic.twitter.com/HEohP769qi / Twitter” The current heat wave that has kept France simmering since June has caused trees and shrubs to drop their leaves early, creating autumn-like scenes. Concerns are mounting that the drought affecting mainland France will reduce this year’s crop yields, exacerbating the food crisis caused by the conflict in Ukraine.
WARNING: Climate change is causing an increase in global water scarcity
Thumbnail courtesy of Estelle Ruiz/Hans Lucas via Reuters Connect. Follow Nathan Howes on Twitter.
