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Stormy episodes are not an exceptional phenomenon, but their violence and growing intensity raise questions. For scientists, the link with global climate change is beyond doubt.
Lightning and hail in the Puy-de-Dôme, in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône) or in Lyon (Rhône): these last three summers, there has been no lack of thunderstorms. The phenomenon is usual, but since mid-August, the violence and intensity of these storms contrasts with the drought. The Mediterranean rim is particularly affected, and at an early stage. “Usually, we expect these storms rather in the fall, especially in September or October”explains Pierre Huat, forecaster at France Télévisions.
Mediterranean waters are 5°C warmer on average this summer. This increases the intensity of thunderstorms, because to form, they need heat but also humidity. The Mediterranean is a reservoir. In the region, the rains have intensified by 22% since the 1960s. A phenomenon that scientists link to global warming.