https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Local authorities in south-west France, including Charente and Charente-Maritime - have imposed the first water restrictions of the year, due to early weather disturbances. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260428/south-west-france-brings-in-water-restrictions Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:36:06 +0200 south-west-france-brings-in-water-restrictions Summer in France often brings with it drought, so here's how to check restrictions on watering the garden, washing the car and filling the swimming pool in communes across France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230717/explained-how-to-check-water-restrictions-in-your-area-of-france Mon, 17 Jul 2023 16:53:52 +0200 explained-how-to-check-water-restrictions-in-your-area-of-france With water levels dangerously low, a mayor in southern France has decided to turn off the tap water in his town every afternoon and evening, with running water only available in the mornings. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240813/french-mayor-restricts-tap-water-to-mornings-due-to-drought Tue, 13 Aug 2024 12:12:45 +0200 french-mayor-restricts-tap-water-to-mornings-due-to-drought The Canal du Midi - a UNESCO World Heritage site that runs from Toulouse to Sète in southern France - will close early this year due to drought. https://www.thelocal.fr/20231031/drought-causes-early-closure-of-frances-canal-du-midi Tue, 31 Oct 2023 18:06:18 +0100 drought-causes-early-closure-of-frances-canal-du-midi The once deep and coursing waters of the Doubs river in eastern France have shrunken to a dry bed that locals can cross almost without getting their feet wet. https://www.thelocal.fr/20231011/the-river-disappearing-in-drought-hit-france Wed, 11 Oct 2023 17:49:17 +0200 the-river-disappearing-in-drought-hit-france A new report commissioned by the French government has found that millions of French homes are at risk of structural damage, exacerbated by drought. https://www.thelocal.fr/20231010/over-11-million-french-homes-at-risk-of-cracking-due-to-drought-report-finds Tue, 10 Oct 2023 12:27:49 +0200 over-11-million-french-homes-at-risk-of-cracking-due-to-drought-report-finds Water has been cut off two days out of every three this month in France's poorest department Mayotte, an Indian Ocean archipelago left underdeveloped in one of the world's wealthiest nations. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230930/frances-mayotte-feels-left-high-and-dry-as-water-crisis-worsens Sat, 30 Sep 2023 16:16:00 +0200 frances-mayotte-feels-left-high-and-dry-as-water-crisis-worsens France's environment minister has warned that the country is still experiencing drought, with dozens of communes still without drinkable tap water. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230914/40000-people-in-france-still-without-drinking-water-amid-drought Thu, 14 Sep 2023 12:06:07 +0200 40000-people-in-france-still-without-drinking-water-amid-drought More than 1,000 French communes have been designated 'natural disaster zones' due to drought. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230912/hundreds-of-french-communes-named-as-states-of-natural-disaster-for-drought Tue, 12 Sep 2023 12:48:51 +0200 hundreds-of-french-communes-named-as-states-of-natural-disaster-for-drought The French government has announced that plans for facilitating the reuse of wastewater, to help reduce water consumption amid drought, will be released in the coming days. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230825/france-to-release-plans-for-facilitating-wastewater-use-nationwide Fri, 25 Aug 2023 16:08:19 +0200 france-to-release-plans-for-facilitating-wastewater-use-nationwide The French government has recommended households install rain water collectors to decrease consumption, but failure to respect the rules can lead to hefty fines of up to €45,000 https://www.thelocal.fr/20230803/e45000-fine-what-frances-strict-rules-around-using-collected-rainwater Thu, 03 Aug 2023 17:30:37 +0200 e45000-fine-what-frances-strict-rules-around-using-collected-rainwater For those looking to visit France this summer - whether as a second-home owner or a tourist - here is what you need to know about drought rules and how they could impact your holiday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230627/how-could-drought-and-water-restrictions-impact-my-french-holiday Tue, 27 Jun 2023 17:25:00 +0200 how-could-drought-and-water-restrictions-impact-my-french-holiday Two-thirds of French water tables are below normal levels for June, Environment Minister Christophe Béchu said on Wednesday, stoking fears of a repeat of 2022's tinder dry summer scarred by wildfires. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230614/drought-warnings-as-60-of-frances-water-tables-below-normal-levels Wed, 14 Jun 2023 12:24:17 +0200 drought-warnings-as-60-of-frances-water-tables-below-normal-levels French Christmas tree growers are counting the cost as summer droughts have killed off tens of thousands of young trees. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220829/will-christmas-trees-be-the-next-victim-of-frances-drought Mon, 29 Aug 2022 14:34:53 +0200 will-christmas-trees-be-the-next-victim-of-frances-drought The 2022 drought is already the worst in 60 years, but these exceptional events are predicted to become more common, so France is considering long-term solutions to deal with punishingly dry periods. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220816/how-france-plans-to-minimise-future-droughts Tue, 16 Aug 2022 14:44:29 +0200 how-france-plans-to-minimise-future-droughts France's latest heatwave has largely abated but now storm warnings are in place for several areas - here's what we can expect from the weather this week. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220816/high-winds-and-hailstorms-what-weather-can-we-expect-in-france-this-week Tue, 16 Aug 2022 11:10:31 +0200 high-winds-and-hailstorms-what-weather-can-we-expect-in-france-this-week A mystery night-time environmental vandal is sabotaging outdoor jacuzzis at holiday lets and second homes in France, amid rising tensions between tourists and locals at the height of a water shortage. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220812/water-is-for-drinking-vigilante-sabotages-jacuzzis-in-french-tourist-resort Fri, 12 Aug 2022 14:50:08 +0200 water-is-for-drinking-vigilante-sabotages-jacuzzis-in-french-tourist-resort Forced to start picking grapes much earlier than normal because of torrid temperatures, winemakers across France are worrying that grape quality will suffer from the climate-induced stress. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220812/fears-for-2022-french-wine-vintages-because-of-stressed-grapes Fri, 12 Aug 2022 14:52:16 +0200 fears-for-2022-french-wine-vintages-because-of-stressed-grapes All of France's metropolitan départements currently have water restrictions in place. Here's how to find out what restrictions are in place in your area, and what that means for everyday life. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220615/map-where-are-water-restrictions-in-place-in-france-and-what-do-they-mean Wed, 15 Jun 2022 17:43:51 +0200 map-where-are-water-restrictions-in-place-in-france-and-what-do-they-mean With France in the grip of an historic drought we asked a climate expert which areas are worst affected, what type of water restrictions we can expect to see in the coming weeks and how long the drought it likely to last for. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220808/ask-the-expert-why-is-frances-drought-so-bad-and-what-will-happen-next Mon, 08 Aug 2022 19:37:38 +0200 ask-the-expert-why-is-frances-drought-so-bad-and-what-will-happen-next