PARIS, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Three nuclear reactors in France have been shut down and eight others are operating at reduced power amid the ongoing heatwave, local media reported on Sunday.
French daily Le Parisien quoted state-owned electric utility company EDF as saying that the reactors were taken offline "because of the weather conditions and in order to comply with regulations governing thermal discharges and therefore protect the environment."
High river temperatures can limit the ability of nuclear power plants to use river water for cooling, requiring operators to reduce output or temporarily halt operations to meet environmental regulations.
In a report released on Thursday, Meteo-France said that, following the exceptional heatwave that swept France in late June, scorching temperatures are once again spreading across much of the country.
On Sunday, the national weather agency placed 37 departments under its highest-level red heatwave alert since 12:00 p.m. local time (1000 GMT), warning that temperatures in the affected areas could reach between 37 degrees and 41 degrees Celsius.
Also on Sunday, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said in an interview with French television channel BFM TV that 139 people had died from drowning since June 19, an increase of 18 percent compared with the same period last year. ■