France is currently being gripped by a historic heat wave. There is a risk of drought. In 16 departments there was a call to use water sparingly.
A potato field is irrigated in Havrincourt in the Hauts-de-Franc region of northern France.
(dpa) A heat wave with temperatures of up to 35 degrees causes temperature records to tumble in France. In the south in Montélimar, for example, it was 32.9 degrees on Tuesday, the hottest on a May day in 1945, according to the French weather service.
On the island of Île de Bréhat, on the north coast of Brittany, a record for a May day from 1922 was broken with 27.8 degrees. In Lyon it was warmer than 30 degrees for five days in a row, most recently in May 1945. It is already becoming apparent that May will surpass the hottest May of 2011 so far, the weather service said. However, the temperatures in no way indicated an unusually hot summer.
In 16 departments, farmers and private households are already being asked to use water sparingly, the Ministry of the Environment announced. There is an increased risk of drought in 22 departments, the broadcaster France Info reported.