Sad record. According to a statement released by France weather France will experience the biggest winter drought in its history on Friday February 17, with 27 days without rain since January 21. The last such episode dates back to the winter of 1989, when it hadn’t rained for 22 consecutive days.
Towards the drying out of the soil
Let’s talk about a day without rain when” aggregate total precipitation over France is less than 1 mm ” details France weather. If we can hope for a return of the rains within a few days”, the month of February should end with a rain deficit of around 50% “. According to experts, winter 2023 could very well be among the 10 wettest winters since 1959.
As a direct consequence of this lack of rainfall, the soils, already weakened by the drought of summer 2022, are even more so: ” Over all they are significantly drier than they should be this time of year. We are in a state that we usually meet in mid-April, two months in advance “. An exceptional drought, which favors the risk of fires. On February 5, 2023, a fire destroyed 60 hectares in the Eastern Pyrenees.
No “recharge period” for groundwater
” Winter usually allows soil to absorb moisture, groundwater and rivers to return to their usual levels. This is called the “charging period”, from November to March. This period is crucial for the replenishment of water reserves. ” relationships France weather.
With 2022 marked by an unprecedented 9 months of drought, these few winter months could have allowed us to reverse the curve, as climatologist Simon Mittelberger reminds our colleagues at Publication :
” This winter the rains have been more abundant than last winter. Including February, we are around a 15% rainfall deficit versus 20% last year. But we started off with a drier-than-usual situation at the end of the summer, so we weren’t able to replenish our water supplies. To return to an adequate situation, at least near-normal or even excessive rainfall would have been necessary throughout the winter months. “.
The next 3 months (March, April and May) will therefore be decisive for summer 2023: if the curve does not reverse, and temperatures (currently above the seasonal norm) do not drop, we could experience, once again, a historic drought.
Cover image: Mike Erskine
Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
