France’s unprecedented drought shows climate change is ‘spiralling out of control’

As global warming accelerates, the spectre of drought haunts France’s once verdant farmland. Even now, before the start of summer, 15 administrative départements have had to restrict water use while farmers warn that the current situation will have an adverse impact on crop yields. Since last autumn there have been “huge droughts” in Spain and Portugal and the same phenomenon has spread to southern France. But “what is unusual this season is that drought is affecting regions north of the Loire”, the river that divides southern and northern France. According to France’s Meteorological Office, the heatwave is remarkable in terms of how early it is, how long it is lasting, and how widespread it is geographically. A deficit of rain over two successive seasons, including unusually low rainfall last winter, meant the water tables couldn’t be filled. France’s energy flows could also be affected: nuclear power plants need a lot of water to cool the reactors. Click to read more at France 24.