16 departments where it will not rain before May
It hasn’t rained since January and the drought is in full swing, in this winter of 2023. In addition, the dust from the Sahara is back in the South of France.
The specter of drought has been hovering over France since last summer. In France, the last rains date from January 21: it has never rained so little in winter! The phenomenon is worrying, although we are delighted with the return of the sun and milder weather in mid-February. According Meteo Francethe year 2022 is undoubtedly hottest ever measured in France since records began in 1900.
“Over the whole year, the temperature reached 14.5 C° on average in France. The year 2022 is the hottest year since 1947 in all administrative regions except in Ile-de-France where 2022 ranks second., reads the weather report. Unfortunately, the high temperatures and the lack of rain go hand in hand with soil dryness. And this has repercussions on agricultural harvests and the lack of snow in the mountains and forest fires, in particular.
Drought in France: 16 departments where it will not rain before May
During the year 2022, we have experienced the longest and most widespread drought, which has forced drinking water restrictions in some cities. The natural disaster continues in several regions of France. “No rain has fallen for nearly a month, beating the previous 1989 record for a period without significant rain during the winter phase. The winter of 2022-2023 could be one of the 10 wettest winters since 1959”notes graphic designer Guillaume Jaseau on Twitter.
‼️#Drought remarkable winter. No rain has fallen for nearly a month, beating the previous 1989 record for a period without significant rain during the winter phase.
The winter of 2022-2023 could be one of the 10 wettest winters since 1959. pic.twitter.com/8cU1fZJ1H7— Guillaume Jauseau (@GJauseau) February 20, 2023
The situation is such that UN experts on global warming linked to human activities have sounded the alarm. “France is experiencing a worrying meteorological drought”remember Meteo Francewhich specifies that “Since August 2021, [presque] every month has a rain deficit,” relay The Dispatch.
The rain may not fall by May in 16 departments according to the forecasts of The Weather Channelof which here is the list: Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Nord, Aisne, Ardennes, Marne, Aube, Haute-Marne, Meuse, Moselle, Meurthe-et-Moselle , the Vosges, the Haute-Saône, the Doubs, the Haut-Rhin and the Bas-Rhin.
😧 Rain hasn’t fallen in France since January 21, a record series of 27 days. Unheard of in winter. This situation results in a drying out of the soil, already weakened by the drought of the summer of 2022.
The point here 👉https://t.co/sBbKwkkWnS
📸@infoclimat pic.twitter.com/Iofycy6TLQ
— Meteo-France (@meteofrance) February 17, 2023
The month of April promises to be very dry with a “marked rainfall deficit over most of the territory”.
The dust of the Sahara is back!
According to The Weather Channel, “Temperatures have been 2 to 4°C higher than seasonal averages since last week, but locally up to 6 to 8°C in the southwest, with the visible consequence of the thinning of the snowpack on the southern slopes, below 1700 m above sea level”. But from Wednesday, a cold wave coming from the British Isles will descend on France: the temperatures will therefore drop.
While waiting for the rain and the cold snap, this Tuesday, February 21, it is the dust from the Sahara that will make their return and fall from the sky. Towards Toulouse, new dust from the Maghreb will dot the scenery of southwestern Europe, including the Pyrenees. So take good care of wash your car before getting behind the wheel.
⏳ An altitude anomaly placed off the Maghreb, will propel us from #sand of #Sahara tomorrow. Giving rain loaded (moderately) in sand, agglomerated with pollutants in the air possibly causing contamination of soils & sources of 💧.pic.twitter.com/xK5esZAFk8
— Guillaume Jauseau (@GJauseau) February 20, 2023
