The year 2022 was the hottest ever measured in France, announces Météo-France

by time news

The year 2022 is already the hottest ever measured in France since the beginning of the readings, in 1900, announced, Wednesday, November 30, Météo France, which estimates that it is the “symptom of climate change in France”.

Whatever the temperatures recorded in December, over the whole year, the thermometer will reach at least 14.2 ° C on average, following several extreme heat waves, including three during the summer. Far ahead of the previous record of 2020, with 14.07°C. According to Météo-France, these summer episodes would have been “highly unlikely and significantly less intense without the effect of climate change”.

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers With temperatures close to 40°C, Brittany is suffocating and worried: “We thought we were spared the heat wave”

The year was marked by several heat episodes: three waves during the summer (15 to 19 June, 12 to 25 July and 31 July to 13 August), i.e. a record of thirty-three days, and two outside season (in May and at the end of October). “All months of the year have been warmer than normal, with the exception of January and April,” underlines Météo-France in a note.

“Historical drought »

These extraordinary heat events were accompanied by numerous extreme events, such as a “historic drought”forest fires, particularly in Gironde and in regions usually little or not prone to this type of phenomenon – such as Brittany –, ocean heat waves in the Mediterranean and violent storms, such as the one that hit Corsica on August 18, which caused the death of five people.

Annual rainfall is expected to show an average deficit of 15% to 25% compared to normal, with two unprecedented months in May (60% deficit) and July (−85%), which are the driest since the beginning measurements, in 1959. The driest year in France remained 1989, with a deficit of 25%.

According to Météo-France, high temperatures have become more frequent in recent years: eight of the ten hottest years since the beginning of the 20the century are after 2010.

This warming is favored by human-induced climate change. Thus, the summer heat waves of 2022 would have been “highly unlikely and significantly less intense without the effect of climate change”specifies the public body.

Studies estimate that this period “would have been almost impossible in a climate not warmed by man” : these heat episodes were made “about 500 times more likely with anthropogenic climate change” – i.e. caused by man – and “1.5 to 1.9°C warmer”.

Considered as “very hot in the current climate, the year 2022 will become “normal” in the middle of the XXIe century “concludes Météo France.

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Climate: the last eight years on track to become the hottest on record

The World with AFP

You may also like

Leave a Comment