July 2026 was the hottest month ever recorded in France, national weather service Météo France confirmed on 4 August, with rainfall nearly 70% below normal. The extreme heat and dryness have left 43% of monitored waterways completely dry or without flow — some 1,373 rivers and streams affected, twice as many as at the same point last year and surpassing the severe drought of 2022. France's Office for Biodiversity (OFB) warns the crisis may represent a permanent ecological "tipping point," with mass fish die-offs, toxic algal blooms, and the collapse of aquatic food chains threatening not only wildlife but also the drinking water of millions, as one-third of France's potable water is drawn from surface rivers and streams.