Across a large swath of eastern, central and south-western France, the fields are turning yellow, the streams and rivers are drying up. Forest fires have devastated more than 40,000 acres of forest between Toulon and Saint Tropez and are still blazing in southern Corsica.
France has been struck by its worst drought in 27 years. In some eastern regions, without rain since February, records suggest this is the driest spell for a century.
John Lichfield Independent UK July 23 2003
