Four reactors at France’s Gravelines nuclear power plant, located along the English Channel, were temporarily shut down over the weekend after a swarm of jellyfish threatened to clog critical water intake systems.

A nuclear plant in northern France was temporarily shut down on Monday after a swarm of jellyfish clogged pumps used to cool the reactors, energy group EDF said. The automatic shutdowns of four units “had no impact on the safety of the facilities, the safety of personnel, or the environment”, EDF said on its website.

A huge nuclear power station in France has temporarily shut down after a "massive and unpredictable" swarm of jellyfish swam into the cooling system.