The French Minister of Ecology announced an unprecedented drought in the country.

The early and intense drought in France, which has led to a record number of restrictions on water use in the country, has created an extremely worrying situation. This was announced on July 15 by the country's Minister of Environmental Transformation, Monique Barbu.

"We are facing a drought that is exceptional in its early stage — almost a month earlier than usual — and in its intensity," France24 TV channel quoted her as saying.

She noted that climate change is causing "profound disruptions to the water cycle."

"This is an unprecedented situation since the introduction of the national monitoring system in 2012," Barbu said.

According to the official French state portal, which informs about the current drought situation, the greatest water problems are currently observed in the central and eastern parts of the country.

It's stuffy to live: abnormal heat as a new economic norm in Europe

Temperature records on the continent are provoking a sharp increase in costs

In the French region of Ile-de-France, including Paris, the highest red weather danger level was declared on July 10 due to extreme heat. According to the newspaper Le Monde, the red alert level has never been introduced in the French capital region twice in one year, especially with such a short period of time — only about three weeks.

The head of the French Ministry of Health, Stephanie Rist, reported on July 3 that more than 2 thousand residents died in a week in connection with the abnormal heat in the territory of the state. It was noted that preliminary data for the period from 22 to 28 June indicate approximately 2025 additional deaths. At the same time, Rist stressed that the estimate is based on only 60% of the death certificates received, so the final number may change.