This Sunday, June 30, the creation of a temporary swimming spot was set up in the Rhône. An initiative which had to be canceled at the last minute following the storms which hit the region this weekend.
Swimming workshop in the Rhône cancelled. This Sunday, June 30, swimming was to be authorized in part of the Rhône as part of the “Entre Rhône et Saône” Festival. Swimmers were expected to meet between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. in Lyon, at the Parc des Berges, in the Gerland district, to jump into the water. The event was cancelled at the last minute following violent storms that hit the region this weekend. The flow of the Rhône was too high to accommodate potential swimmers.
The perimeter had to be demarcated by buoys and secured by rescuers. This experiment was a test to authorize swimming in the Rhône in the future to combat extreme heat during heatwaves.
THE LYONNAIS reluctant to SWIM IN THE RHÔNE
Lyon’s heatwave plan aims to better adapt to high temperatures, since the city has had difficulty coping with high temperatures in recent summer periods. In August 2023, Lyon reached a peak heat of 41.4°C.
An idea that is not unanimous, since many of the city’s residents did not seem really motivated by the idea of swimming in the river. “Given the color of the water, it doesn’t appeal to me at all. In my opinion, there are an astronomical amount of pretty weird things under the water. But good luck to those who are going to try it!”, confided a resident to RadioScoop.
However, the latest tests carried out to check the quality of the Rhone water had been conclusive.
