France's Golfech nuclear power plant shut down reactor two on Thursday, July 9, 2026, as the Garonne River approached 28°C, the maximum temperature allowed under a 2006 decree, French utility EDF announced. The reactor, located 55 miles from Toulouse in Tarn-et-Garonne, was the only unit operating at the site; unit one has been offline for maintenance since May.
Heatwave Forces Precautionary Shutdown
EDF said the Garonne River, which flows through southwest France and northern Spain, is expected to reach 28°C on Friday, July 10. The company halted production at reactor two at 11:30 a.m. as a precaution to prevent excessive warming of the river, which receives the reactor's cooling water discharges. A similar shutdown occurred on June 23 during a late-June heatwave; operations resumed on July 3.
A spokesperson for EDF stated: "Weather conditions over the last few days have led to a significant rise in the temperature of the Garonne (river), which is expected to reach 28°C this Friday July 10. As a precautionary measure, production unit No. 2 at EDF's Golfech nuclear power station was shut down on Thursday July 9 at 11:30 a.m."
Broader Impact Across France
During the late-June heatwave, EDF also temporarily shut down two reactors at the Bugey nuclear power plant in Ain, along the Rhône River, and at the Nogent-sur-Seine plant in Aube, located on the Seine River. These repeated shutdowns highlight the vulnerability of nuclear power generation to extreme heat, as rivers used for cooling warm beyond regulatory limits.
Record-Breaking June Heat
Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, with average temperatures exceeding the 1991–2020 norm by more than 3°C, according to the EU's Copernicus climate monitoring service. Wildfires ravaged France and Spain during the month. Globally, June 2026 was 0.56°C hotter than the 1991-2020 average and 1.39°C hotter than preindustrial levels, making it the second-warmest June on record. The world's oceans also reached unprecedented temperatures.
Samantha Burgess, a climate scientist at Copernicus, commented: "Together, these records reflect a climate system continuing to accumulate heat. The result is increasingly intense heatwaves, a persistently warm ocean, and growing risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructure."
