France has experienced the most severe drought in the history of observations. To control the situation, an inter-ministerial commission has been set up with the power to impose restrictions on water use.
It was already hot and dry in France in the spring, and the situation worsened in the summer. July turned out to be the driest in decades. The lack of rain is compounded by the accumulation of successive heat waves that increase evaporation and water demand.
As a result, more than 100 cities have been left without drinking water. To conserve moisture, the government has imposed restrictions on water supplies in 93 of the 96 departments, including a ban on irrigation of agricultural land.
The drought could last another two weeks and become even more worrying, forecasters predict. Meanwhile, the French Ministry of Agriculture already has a loss of 19% of corn harvest reported.