in Perpignan, a religious procession will be organized to implore the rain

This is a first for 150 years. In Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientale), a religious procession will be organized on Saturday March 18 to beg for rain, the daily reports on Friday March 10. The Independent. The region is particularly affected by the drought this winter, as franceinfo had told a few days ago.

>> Farmer, fisherman, mayor… In the middle of winter, they are already suffering from drought and fear “a water war”.

A winegrower from the region, Georges Puig, asked the cathedral of Perpignan to organize this ceremony. “The prefectural restrictions are already comparable to those of high summer. If there is no flood for 3 days, we will not get out of it. All that remains is to pray”, explains the farmer to the local daily. On March 18, the statue of Saint-Gaudérique from the church of Saint-Hippolyte and the reliquary bust from the parish of Saint-Jacques will be transported to the banks of the Têt, the river that crosses the city.

After an already very dry year 2022, France is again hit by drought, this time in the middle of winter. A phenomenon favored by climate change, caused by human activities and the consumption of coal, oil and gas. The Pyrénées-Orientales are one of the most affected departments.