Climate crisis
News and analysis of the climate crisis.
LATEST: Maps of all the water restrictions in place in France this fall
Heading into October, large parts of France are still covered by water restrictions with thousands of households without tap water after a summer of record-breaking drought. Here's the latest.
94,000 people without tap water in France due to drought
The French environment ministry has confirmed that 94,000 people are still without regular supplies of tap water due to the severe and ongoing drought - an increase since the start of September.
Cry for help as French-Swiss lake dries up
The picturesque Lac des Brenets between France and Switzerland has dried up after a record-breaking hot summer, leaving locals crying out for help to save the lake.
Could Saint Malo in 'rainy Brittany' really run out of tap water?
Officials in Brittany have warned that the Saint-Malo area has around 75 days of drinking water left and urged residents to cut back - but with the Route du Rhum set to draw 1.5 million visitors, will there be enough to go round?
'3 minute showers': Where in France are tight water restrictions still in place?
France may have officially entered autumn, but the country's severe drought is showing little sign of disappearing, with water restrictions still in place across much of the country.
Almost 8,000 excess deaths in France's scorched summer
The hottest summer in France since 1900 marked by a succession of record heatwaves resulted in almost 8,000 excess deaths, health authorities statistics published on Wednesday showed.
MAP: France's 7 'cool refuges' as the summers heat up
With France experiencing hotter summers and more heatwaves, interest is growing in the coolest areas of the country to either move to or stay in over the summer - and now a group of experts have listed seven 'cool refuges'.
Heat forces French Champagne makers to increase alcohol content
Drinking 2026 Champagne might give you a heftier headache as France's record heatwaves are forcing some producers to up the alcohol levels, industry officials said on Wednesday.
Scorching summer pushes French wine harvest to new historic low
French wine production this year is expected to fall 6 percent from 2025 after a summer of unprecedented heatwaves and drought, the agriculture ministry said on Monday, predicting the most paltry harvest for some 70 years.
Climate crisis: How the supersized El Niño could hit Europe
With Europe already seeing record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather episodes the summer, here's how meteorologists say the supersized El Niño phenomenon could hit the continent's climate in the coming months.
France unveils €1bn farm aid package after climate-hit summer
France announced more than €1billion in emergency support for farmers after an unprecedented summer of heatwaves, wildfires and drought, but agricultural groups said the package falls short.
Will the European Union take up the climate fight after brutal heatwaves?
Is climate change set for a comeback as a top EU priority, after a deadly summer of record-breaking heatwaves across Europe?
Summer 2026 was France's 'hottest ever', minister confirms
France experienced its hottest summer on record in 2026, marked by heatwaves, drought and massive wildfires, the environment minister said on Thursday.
France to relax cheese-making rules due to record heatwaves and drought
Widespread drought and record-breaking heatwaves have forced France to relax some of its famously strict rules on cheese production, with authorities announcing on Wednesday special measures for abondance, beaufort and comté.
OUTLOOK: Is France set for yet another heatwave this September?
After a summer of repeated high temperatures, France could be facing another spell of hot weather in early September. Could this qualify as a sixth heatwave?
Too hot to incubate: Nile crocodiles hatch on their own in French reserve
France's heatwaves have produced an unusual outcome at a wildlife park, where 10 Nile crocodiles hatched without human assistance for the first time, the director of the reserve said on Wednesday.
Analysis: Can France's part-time firefighter system cope with increasingly severe wildfires?
Around 200,000 people volunteer as firefighters in France, making up nearly 80 percent of the country's fire service. But as the country faces increasingly severe wildfires, the system is coming under strain.
'We're heading for catastrophe': The summer climate change hit Europe
For generations, summer in Europe has been languid and dreamy, bringing fine weather and lengthy days on sunny beaches and terraces. But in 2026, the brutal reality of climate change forced its way into daily life.
Heatwave-hit Europe logs over 30,000 excess summer deaths
Europe saw at least 30,000 excess deaths across a blistering summer of back-to-back heatwaves and drought which scientists have blamed on man-made climate change, according to provisional figures.
OPINION: Drought will plunge France into a food prices crisis
Looking out from my garden in the Norman hills, I can see a corner of a Europe-wide catastrophe unfold - writes John Lichfield. My village resembles the Oklahoma dust bowl circa 1936.
More than 7,300 excess deaths in France's historically hot summer so far
France saw more than 7,300 excess deaths during heatwaves so far this year, health authorities said Wednesday, as the country has also endured a record number of hot days since mid-June, according to an AFP analysis.
'47 days without rain' - French drought intensifies
France's drought is intensifying with severe water restrictions and even northern towns like Dunkirk recording weeks without a single drop of rain.
Is it safe to drink tap water in France during heatwaves?
Throughout France’s five heatwaves this summer, tap water has sometimes been coming out of faucets surprisingly warm. Is it still safe to drink?