Water restrictions this weekend

34 departments are on drought alert, with varying restrictions on watering gardens and washing cars

A DROUGHT warning is in place for 34 French departments this weekend, with water restrictions in place in 30 of those.

Parts of south-west France are among the worst-affected, including the Dordogne, Lot, Lot-et-Garonne, Tarn-et-Garonne and Charente where a "red" alert is in place, meaning only essential water use is allowed.

An "orange" level of warning applies to some of the departments along the Atlantic coast, meaning farmers should limit their water use and gardens should not be watered.

A "yellow" alert means water restrictions are in place in the middle of the day, but lawns can still be watered in the evening.

See the map of restrictions here