Weather tracker: Unusually warm rivers affect French nuclear power plants
Unusually high temperatures and low rainfall in Europe are causing river water levels to drop and temperatures to rise, impacting nuclear power plant cooling systems. In France, this has forced temporary shutdowns and production restrictions at facilities like the Golfech and Nogent plants.
Why it matters
Climate-driven environmental changes are creating direct operational risks for critical energy infrastructure, highlighting the vulnerability of traditional power generation to extreme weather.
A reactor at the Golfech nuclear power plant in south-west France was temporarily shut down owing to the temperature of the Garonne River./Getty Images A reactor at the Golfech nuclear power plant in south-west France was temporarily shut down owing to the temperature of the Garonne River./Getty Images Weather tracker Europe Analysis Weather tracker: Unusually warm rivers affect French nuclear power plants Theo Gkousarov for MetDesk High temperatures and below average rainfall put pressure on waterways used to cool reactors
Above average temperatures combined with below average rainfall across much of western and central Europe during June and the first half of July have placed increasing pressure on rivers, ecosystems and energy infrastructure. Persistent high pressure brought prolonged sunshine, suppressed rainfall and enhanced evaporation, causing river levels to fall and water temperatures to increase.
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