France is struggling with an influx of toxic green algae infesting beaches in the popular holiday region Brittany. The algae is taking over the bay of Saint-Brieuc, on Brittany’s northern coast. The beach is carpeted with piles of rotting algae which stink of rotten eggs. The mayor of the Saint-Brieuc has been forced to close the beach to the public due to the threat of toxic fumes.
Signs in both English and French warning “Danger Toxic Gas” – complete with a skull and crossbones – caution locals and tourists alike to turn back.
The warning sign and beach closure display a change in attitude as local officials will no longer minimise the risks of the algae crisis.
Locals have complained about the pervasive green algae and believe something should be done.
“I’ve been coming here for 30 years so I’m used to the green algae, but now we can see they’re getting closer,” Jean-Paul Bertaud, a pensioner from the Paris suburb of Choisy-le-Roi told France24.
“The sand has been taken over, the algae are rotting on the spot and this creates little bogs that can be very dangerous.”
The algae is believed to be particularly bad this year due to the “exceptional weather.”
“The influx of green algae began very early, there were few storms and June was a relatively wet month, which caused more water to flow from agricultural areas and thus more green algae,” a spokesman for the Saint-Brieuc town hall told France24.
According to the French site, at least three people and dozens of animals (including wild boars, dogs and a horse) have died after inhaling hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a potentially lethal gas released by decaying algae.
Much like the UK, France has been gripped by a heatwave this week, with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) updating its travel advice to the country.
“Extreme temperatures are forecast across most of France in the week commencing 22 July, with daytime temperatures over 40ºC and overnight temperatures over 20ºC in parts of the country,” said the FCO.
“The French authorities have issued advice (in English) on sensible precautions to take.”
This flags warning signs such as muscle cramps, extreme tiredness or sparking incoherently as signals someone is suffering from heatwave-related symptoms.
Passengers travelling between Paris and London on Eurostar were today warned not to make the journey as delays hit the rail service due to the weather.
The services affected include trains to and from London St Pancras, Ebbsfleet and Ashford. In a statement, Eurostar said: “Due to an overhead power issue in Paris, our traffic to and from Paris is severely disrupted and advise essential travel only. Exchange your ticket for free, for a later date, subject to availability.
“If you choose to travel, please proceed to ticket gates at the time indicated on your ticket as normal.
“If you arrive at your destination more than 60 minutes late, you can claim compensation. Please wait 24 hours then go to compensation.eurostar.com. We apologise for the inconvenience and we thank you for your patience.”
