French National Hydrological Situation Bulletin of the 11th April 2025

The weather was often dry and sunny in northern France but more unsettled in the southern half of the country and in Corsica. Following a sharp drop in temperatures in the middle of the month, snowfall occurred from the 12th to the 16th in the Massif Central and north-east, with up to 10 cm in places below 600 metres and even locally close to 20 cm in the Nièvre.

Rainfall was above average from the central Pyrenees to the middle Rhône valley and the Mediterranean, as well as in Corsica and from the Loire valley to Berry. Monthly totals often exceeded one and a half times the normal amount in the south-east and Corsica, reaching three to five times the normal amount in the Bouches-du-Rhône, Var and, more locally, Ardèche. Rainfall was generally 25 to 75% below normal in the rest of the country.

Topsoil became moister in the Mediterranean regions. However, it dried out significantly in the rest of the country, becoming drier than normal in Seine-Maritime and Hauts-de-France to Grand Est, as well as in the eastern mountain ranges and northern Auvergne, and even remarkably dry near the northern borders.

After a deficit recharge in February and March 2025, depletion became widespread in the aquifers across much of the country. Only the south-east benefited from effective excess rainfall and saw levels rise. Groundwater levels in Roussillon and the Corbières massif remained low to very low.

In March 2025, France experienced a contrasting situation with minimum monthly flows above the median in the centre of the country, but overall water shortages (40-80% of normal) over most of the country, with the notable exception of the south-east and Corsica, which experienced surplus conditions.

As of 15 April 2025, five departments are affected by water use restrictions beyond the alert level, with two departments implementing crisis measures.

The national hydrological situation bulletin (BSH national) describes the state of water resources on the metropolitan territory of the previous month.

It is the result of collaboration between different data producers and managers:

• Météo-France for meteorological data (rainfall, soil moisture, snow cover);
• the basin DREAL¹ and Vigicrues service (ex. SCHAPI²) for data on river flows and the state of filling of dams (in collaboration with other national players, such as EDF³ , VNF⁴ and EPTB⁵ such as Seine Grands Lacs and Loire);
• BRGM for groundwater levels. These data are produced ten times during the year, which explains their absence from certain bulletins;
• the French Biodiversity Office (OFB) for observations on low water levels (between June and October).

The bulletin is produced under the aegis of the editorial committee made up of the various contributors to the BSH (data producers and managers), led by the International Office for Water (OiEau), in conjunction with the OFB and the Water and Biodiversity Directorate of the Ministry of Ecological Transition.

1 Regional Directorates for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Housing
2 Flood Forecasting Support Service
3 Électricité de France
4 Voies navigables de France
5 Territorial basin public establishments