France is facing a "tremendous" and "very worrying" drought situation, with the number of areas affected by water restrictions reaching a record high.
Speaking at a meeting of the ministry's crisis unit, France's Minister of Ecological Transition, Monique Barbut, said 99 departments across mainland France are currently under water restrictions, covering the entire metropolitan area.
Of that number, 43 departments have reached the highest "crisis" alert level, where water use is restricted only to priority needs.
A total of 206 prefectural decrees are currently in force, marking the highest level recorded at least since 2013, according to the minister.
Authorities have also stepped up monitoring of soil and watercourses as drought continues to affect most parts of the country.
As reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Wednesday, July 15, government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said 16,500 air conditioners would be sent to hospitals this weekend as France continues to face high temperatures.
Bregeon said a total of 30,000 units had been ordered and all deliveries were expected to be completed by the end of July.
He said that about 70 percent of the air conditioners that had been sent had been sent to departments that were under the highest heat warning level.
Europe in general is known to have fewer air conditioners than it is estimated to need in extreme heat, although this has been a political debate in France.
Meanwhile, French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari announced that 142 people had died of drowning since June 19, warning that the figure was much higher than last year.
He attributed the increase to extreme hot weather, which has prompted more people to seek shelter in rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.
Although temperatures are gradually decreasing across France, many areas are still experiencing temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius.
Weather forecasters predict temperatures will reach 34 degrees Celsius in Auxerre, 36 degrees Celsius near Bourges, and up to 37 degrees Celsius in the lower Rhone valley around Valence.
Heavy thunderstorms are expected during the day, especially along the eastern part of the country, with strong electrical activity expected.
The French Forest Weather Service has put 36 departments on orange alert status due to the "high" risk of forest fires.
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