France is bracing for its third heatwave of the year this week, after record June temperatures led to more than 2,000 excess deaths across the country.
Sixteen departments have been placed under orange heatwave warnings on Monday (6 July) with highs of 40°C expected in parts of the southwest.
Drought conditions are worsening, with the vast majority of departments under some form of alert. Water reserves have also been pushed to their limits, decimated by a combination of heat and low rainfall.
As of 1 July, almost a dozen departments had at least one commune under the highest ‘crisis’ level for tap water, with restrictions on watering plants, washing cars and filling private swimming pools.
‘A big joke’
