France's Ligier River dries up amid historic heatwave

The Ligier, France's longest river, has been reduced to a desert‑like sandbed in parts of the western region of Mont‑sûr‑Loire. The transformation follows weeks of extreme drought and a record‑breaking June heatwave that set new temperature highs across Western Europe.

The heatwave forced the closure of more than 1,300 schools, caused power outages for thousands of households and coincided with an excess of 2,000 deaths recorded during the week of 22‑28 June, according to French health authorities. Water restrictions have been imposed, urging residents to limit irrigation, car washing and private pool filling.

Reduced river flow also impacted ecosystems and infrastructure; fish habitats are threatened, irrigation supplies are limited, and a nuclear plant had to temporarily suspend cooling operations because of insufficient water. The event underscores the severity of the ongoing climate‑related water crisis in France.