France in midst of 4th heat wave amid historic drought

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France was in the midst of its fourth heat wave of the year on August 7 as the country faces what the government warned is its worst drought on record. National weather agency Meteo France said the heat wave began in the south and was expected to spread across the country. Overall, the southern half of France expects daytime temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and won’t drop at night below 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit). The high temperatures aren’t helping firefighters battling a wildfire in the Chartreuse Mountains near the Alps in eastern France, where authorities have evacuated around 140 people. Meteo France said the heat wave from the week of August 7 would not be as intense as the one in July, when several regions experienced record-breaking temperatures. But the high temperatures came during the most severe drought ever recorded, according to the government. July 2022 was the driest since measurements began in 1959. Some French farmers have started to see drops in production especially in soy, sunflower and corn yields. Water restrictions in place range from daytime irrigation bans to limiting water usage to people, livestock and to keep aquatic species alive. The government said that more than 100 municipalities can’t provide drinking water through taps and need water truck supplies. The heat also forced energy giant EDF to temporarily cut power generation at some of its nuclear plants, which use river water to cool reactors. This article was provided by The Associated Press.