France is experiencing a very temporary heat episode on Saturday. Forecasters expect up to 6°C above seasonal norms, or even more locally.
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While a heat peak is expected on Saturday April 6 in France, with 25 degrees reached in the north for the first time this season, and more than 30 degrees in the south, Serge Zaka, doctor in agro-climatology, warns of franceinfo on the risk of disease in crops, which will “to be very important in the coming days”due to the mild weather and heavy rains recorded in recent weeks.
“The rise in temperature then the fall will not necessarily have very big effects on animals, insects or vegetation”explains the agro-climatologist, because these variations are common in spring, summer or autumn, “on the other hand, these are the values achieved” which are important. They also follow “the hottest start to the year on record”. And it’s “the accumulation and increase in the frequency of this type of event, over any month of the year, which causes us to talk about climate change.”
It didn’t freeze enough last winter
The mildness of the start of 2024 leads to early flowering, which is then very sensitive to the first risk: frost. “The plants are way ahead of where they should be at this time of year and the worrying thing is that if there is a frost spell, and there may be to the Ice Saints [du 11 au 13 mai]plants will be very sensitive to it because they are extremely developed.”
Another risk, “there is water, there is sweetness, so the risk of illness will be very high in the coming days and a month”according to Serge Zaka, is that “this sweetness really provides food for future diseases and future aphids, future insects or future crop pests.” “The development of diseases will be very rapid” because, in addition to this peak, “it did not freeze enough this winter to clear the plots of future pests, because frost helps limit disease pressure in spring by killing eggs and insects.”