In France, tens of thousands of residents are receiving water from tankers and bottles because of the drought

Bloomberg reported that the Alps, the south, and the southeast of France were hit hardest by the drought. As of September 23, emergency measures affected more than 83,000 residents: about 47,000 are receiving water from tankers, and roughly 33,000 — in bottles.

France’s Ministry for Ecological Transition said that the water supply for about 1 million people is at risk, and water-use restrictions are in effect in almost all departments of the country. According to the ministry, no health impacts have been recorded, and uninterrupted supplies to hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes remain the priority.

France’s weather service Météo-France linked the crisis to a lack of precipitation that began in March and intensified after an exceptionally hot summer. In September, rainfall was 70% below normal, and the soil across almost the entire country dried out to a level seen only once every ten years.

Bloomberg analysts point out that, because of the shallower rivers, France had to cut power generation at its nuclear plants by a record amount, as the reactors did not have enough water for cooling. This week, the chance of rain will increase, especially along France’s Mediterranean coast, where thunderstorms with heavy rain and cooler temperatures are expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Sources

• Material: theins.ru