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La Voie Bleue: European Cycle Route of the Year is in France
700km bike path linking Luxembourg and Lyon has been crowned winner of the 2026 title
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Before and after: Garonne river floods in south-west France
Satellite images show extent of flooding from back-to-back storms in February
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Home insurance increases expected in France after floods
Compensation costs for the recent storms and flooding across the west and south-west is estimated to be in the billions of euros
France’s groundwater levels low but not worrying
Groundwater tables are lower than last year, aggravated by early summer heatwaves – but there is no need for worry, says France’s official geological survey body in a new report.
It comes despite seven communes in Corrèze, Limousin, bringing in water by tanker for 4,000 residents in August.
Water restrictions have been applied to more than 80 departments since June, some at ‘critical level,’ meaning farmers cannot water crops and residents can only use water for drinking and hygiene for most of the day.
However the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières said ground water levels, which provide 68% of domestic water, often work in six to seven-year cycles and are set to rise this winter.
Violent storms in August did not help as rain ran over hard, dry ground rather than soaking in.
The worst-affected areas are Alsace, Limousin, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Bourgogne.
