Garonne River enters unprecedented crisis due to drought

The Garonne River has entered an unprecedented state of crisis between the Pyrenees and Toulouse due to a prolonged drought, according to the Haute-Garonne prefecture. This situation is driven by a combination of record-breaking heat and extremely low rainfall, marking a historic environmental event for the region.

Authorities have significantly increased water usage restrictions, with the number of municipalities in a crisis state rising from six to 136. This includes areas in the western part of the Toulouse metropolitan area. The river has reached level 4 on the alert scale, having moved from level 3 only 15 days prior.

Rainfall levels have been severely deficient; while the average for early September is typically around 50mm, only 8mm has been recorded so far. With no significant rain forecast before the end of the month and dwindling water reserves, authorities are no longer able to continue water releases from Pyrenean dam lakes.