Heat and lack of precipitation… The cocktail is explosive.

All of mainland France, with the exception of Paris, Hauts-de-Seine and Seine-Saint-Denis, was placed on drought alert on Thursday at different levels, i.e. 93 of the 96 metropolitan departments, said the ministry of the ecological transition.

“Today we have 93 departments concerned by a restriction beyond vigilance, on at least part of the territory: 9 on alert, 38 on heightened alert and 46 in crisis”, indicates the ministry.

A large majority of the departments south of a line running from Calvados to the Alpes-Maritimes are in drought crisis.

The other departments south of this line are on heightened alert, except Côtes d'Armor, on alert.

Driest July on record

Since Wednesday, “we note the passage of Haute-Vienne and Hautes-Alpes in crisis, Yvelines have gone on alert and Haute-Loire on heightened alert”.

Restrictions on water use vary according to the alert threshold, ranging from a ban on watering gardens at certain times, to a halt to non-priority withdrawals, including withdrawals for agricultural purposes.

At the crisis level, only withdrawals allowing the exercise of priority uses are authorized, related to health, civil security, drinking water and sanitation.

Metropolitan France should experience its driest July since the start of measurements in 1959, according to Météo-France.

Drier and warmer than normal

Also according to Météo-France, which publishes monthly trends for the next three months, "the warmer than normal scenario is the most likely for France" for the period from August to October, with "moderate" confidence. in this scenario.

“A drier than normal scenario is most likely over much of central Europe, from the northeastern quarter of France to Poland and western Ukraine”, but “no scenario does not emerge in the other French regions, ”says the meteorological service.

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Drought in France: 90 departments placed on alert

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