Drought. Four elements show that the situation in France is worrying

Not for weeks, months Meteorologists and climatologists are sounding the alarm : Famine May hit France in the summer of 2022.

At this point, the time for warnings is over: here we are, and the drought is really here. Here are four signs that indicate it.

1 – Abnormally low soil moisture index

The first sign of drought in France: the very low moisture in the topsoil, immediately under our feet.

as As indicated by Météo France’s latest hydrological bulletinThe surface soil moisture index for this summer 2022 is well below normal for the season.

This lack of moisture ” 20 to 50% in the north-west, east and south of France” And “More than 50% of seats”, As in Normandy, south of the Pays de la Loire, north of Poitou, the central Rhone valley and part of the Mediterranean rim.

In the end, only the center of France finds its topsoil spared by drought.

2 – Groundwater sometimes in alarming quantities

As one goes deeper underground the situation is not very happy.

In its latest newsletterPublished on July 12, the Bureau of Geological and Mining Research pointed out “Levels in (groundwater) tables are generally around or below average levels.”.

Thus, while some water bodies show perfect levels, water bodies located in the east, in the Rhône Valley or in the south-east of France, sometimes show very alarming levels.

“This situation is explained on the one hand by the very low recharge in the autumn and winter of 2021-2022, and on the other hand by a particularly dry spring”stands for BRGM.

3 – Apparent lack of precipitation

The reason for all these worrying indicators is that France has had very little rain in recent months.

“The cumulative rainfall since the beginning of the hydrological year (set at 1^R September) showed values ​​ranging from 10 to 50% below normal in most parts of the country”Météo France mentions it in its July hydrological bulletin.

Here again, the southeast, west and Alsace are particularly affected, with rainfall levels sometimes reaching 50% of those normally recorded.

July 2022 is set to be one of the driest in recent decades, which risks worsening the situation.

4 – Almost universal awareness in France

Indeed, this delicate environment has forced authorities to react and impose restrictions on water use almost everywhere in the region.

thereby, As shown on the Propluvia websitePublished by the Ministry of Environmental Change, 89 sectors are affected by at least one order restricting water use on July 27.

In comparison, at the same time last year, only 20 sectors were affected by such a mandate. Also, on July 27, 2020, already in the middle of a particularly dry summer, the number of sectors that were on alert was only 58.