Very low groundwater levels have put France on the path to a worse summer drought than last year, particularly in the southern part of the country ravaged by large forest fires, the French geological service BRGM said on Thursday.

France suffered its worst drought on record last summer and, like most of Europe, faced a dry winter that raised concerns about water security across the continent. "The situation is worrying because the whole of France has been affected and we have had several years of drought," said Violaine Bault, a hydrologist at BRGM.

Groundwater levels are generally below those of 2022 and recharge is insufficient in most of the country after a particularly dry winter, she said, adding that many parts of France would likely need to introduce water restrictions in the summer, particularly in the central regions and around Paris.

Some groundwater levels have reached the lowest levels ever recorded in the Roussillon wine region and the southern Var region, which is home to the resort town of Saint-Tropez. Both have suffered large repeated wildfires in recent summers.

Crops that can be affected by the lack of water in southern France include mainly fruits and vineyards. The region produces few grains.

Meteorologist Meteo France said Thursday that rainfall in March had returned soil moisture to normal levels after record lows earlier in the month. However, the soils, which were already dry at the end of February, have dried up further in the southeastern part of the country and reached record levels of moisture in the surface soils in the southwestern regions of Aude and the Eastern Pyrenees, he said.

Source: Agrolink