Thibaud Hue (in Orléans), edited by Ophélie Artaud 07:39, August 12, 2022

A historic drought affects France and its rivers.

The Loire, the longest river in the country, is at an exceptionally low level.

So much so that it is now possible to cross it on foot.

The opportunity to discover the extent of the phenomenon.

Europe 1 went to Orléans for and tried the experience.

France is still hit by a historic drought.

Just look at our waterways to see that.

The Loire, the longest river in France, is at an exceptionally low level.

When you ask a regular if he has ever seen the Loire so low, the answer is simple.

"No, never. I've lived in Orléans for ten years and I've never seen that, so many sandbanks. It reminds me of a desert with totally faded trees."

So much so that you can cross it on foot.

Europe 1 tried the experiment.

"We feel that there has been no water for a long time"

"You can cross without having to swim. Come on, take off your shoes, put on your swimsuit, and go. There you go, it looks like a small paddling pool. We don't even have water up to our knees" , explains the guide.

While usual, "we have water up to our necks".

As you move forward, you come to the second sandbank, right in the middle of the Loire, which is normally not accessible on foot.

"It's very dry there, we feel that there has been more water for a long time," he says.

"It's worrying because I do a lot of paddling on the Loire and I've never seen it so low. We have rather experienced floods, floods..."

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Quickly, we arrive on the other side of the Loire, without having had too many difficulties to cross.

And a little further on the edge, you can even come across people having a picnic.

"We came by bike and on foot, and we brought a towel. We try to take advantage of the little water we have left."

And unfortunately, the situation is likely to last.

Here, no rain is expected in Orléans and its surroundings.

So the Loire should continue to descend and descend to soon reach a historically low level.