France Faces Severe Drought Crisis as Government Urges Action and Prayer

"This drought is the most severe ever recorded in our country" and "the weather forecasts suggest that the situation could persist over the next fifteen days, or even become more worrying," the services of Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne said in a press release. As a result, this exceptional drought "deprives many municipalities of water and is a tragedy for our farmers, our ecosystems and biodiversity." The lack of rain "is exacerbated by the accumulation of successive heat waves that reinforce evaporation and water needs."

To read:

Faced with the situation, "exceptional, gradual and temporary measures to limit or suspend non-priority water uses for individuals and professionals, according to four levels of severity (vigilance, alert, reinforced alert, crisis)." Almost the entire French territory is on drought alert.

The situation is worrying the Union of Mosques of France (UMF). It has called on Muslims in France "to multiply throughout" the new Muslim year, "the prayers called istisqa, recommended" by the Prophet Muhammad "in such circumstances." This involves organizing prayers for rain.