In addition to the duration of the phenomenon, unprecedented for a winter, France has experienced very low levels of precipitation since the start of the groundwater recharge season. The soils reached a level of dryness similar to April.
Specialists scan the sky with concern in France. Almost no drop of rain has fallen in France since January 21, i.e. for 31 consecutive days. A similar phenomenon was observed in the spring of 2020, between March 17 and April 16, at the start of the first confinement. The last winter record was 22 days without rain, in 1989.
Since the beginning of December, the daily cumulative rainfall has exceeded 5 mm several times. However, since January 21, there has not been more than 1 mm of rain, as shown in this graph.
This series should end on Wednesday, with rains expected in the South. But what about the overall rainfall, since the beginning of this winter, beyond the symbolic figure of 31 days? “The month of February 2023 should end with a rainfall deficit of more than 50%, note Météo France in a press release, becoming one of the driest Februarys on record since measurements began in 1959.”
The soils are far from having returned to their usual levels
The situation of the previous months has accentuated the problems. Since September, precipitation has certainly remained at levels close to normal, with the exception of October, when precipitation was 36% lower. Above all, the particularly dry months have followed one another since the start of 2022.
Today, “we are in a state that we usually encounter in mid-April”, notes Meteo France. The whole hexagonal territory is concerned. Winter is a crucial period for recharging groundwater, already severely tested by the historic drought of 2022. The soils are far from having returned to their usual levels, and the snow cover of the mountain ranges, allowing feeding some rivers is also significantly lower than normal.
Since the beginning of the groundwater recharge period, established from September 1 to March 31, the 2022-2023 season seems to be on the way to reaching low levels. On average, the national total is 583 mm of rain. From September 1, 2022 to February 20, 2023, it only rained 419 mm, and there is just over a month to catch up. There had been 417.1 mm of rain in 1988-1989 (in yellow below), during the driest year. The rainfall in the coming weeks will therefore be decisive.
According to data transmitted by Météo France, the meteorological winter (from December 1 to February 28) of the 2022-2023 season should be around the 15th position in the list of the driest winters since 1959. The problem is also linked to temperatures, higher than normal for thirteen consecutive months. “This is the first time since 1947 that we have observed such a long series of monthly mean temperatures above normal”notes Meteo France.