France Matches Dry Spell Record of Thirty-one Days Without Rain

France has reached its record dry spell of 31 days without considerable rains, the country’s climate service stated Tuesday, amid concerns over water reserves partly of Europe still reeling from last year’s severe drought.

With rainfall across the country of less than 1 millimeter per day since January 21, the weather service Meteo France has declared that the lack of precipitation is equivalent to the record set in the spring of 2020.

Winter is generally a turning point for charging groundwater levels with rain.

Meteo France said Tuesday that this number of days without rainfall has “never been seen” in winter before in records returning to 1959.

Rising temperatures in Europe

According to the latest data released by the European Union’s Copernicus weather monitor (C3S), Europe experienced the third-warmest January on record last month.The region saw temperatures soar to unprecedented levels in some areas on New Year’s Day, further fueling concerns about climate change and its impact on the environment. The report underscores the urgent need for governments and individuals to take decisive action to reduce carbon emissions and curb the effects of global warming.

Following the year 2022, Europe experienced its second-hottest year on record, with countries such as France, Britain, Spain, and Italy all setting new average temperature level records. This was further exacerbated by severe drought conditions in various regions, highlighting the pressing need for more concerted action to address the climate crisis.

Crops withered in European breadbaskets, and also the historical drought, unprecedented in centuries, drove record wildfire intensity and placed extreme pressure on the continent’s power grid and also water reserves.

The Globe Climate Attribution service last year calculated that the agricultural and also ecological drought over the Northern Hemisphere was at least twenty times likelier because of human-caused environmental change, warning that such extreme dry times would become increasingly common with worldwide heating.

Water restrictions

In Spain, one of the European nations most exposed to drought risk, there is additionally concern about present water reserves.

Barcelona and also huge swathes of Spain’s northeastern area of Catalonia have imposed water restrictions due to the lack of rainfall.

The measures include banning using drinking water to wash the exterior of residences or cars or to fill swimming pools and also decreasing the amount of water utilized for watering.

However, the country’s 1962 record of 79 days with no more than 1 mm of rain still stands.

In Italy, the warmer climate has led to a reduction in snow cover and also related water resources.

The Italian Alps had fifty-three percent less snow than common, reducing the quantity of meltwater for the Po Valley, the country’s main farming hub.

Water level of the Po River

In the past week, the Po River has seen a drastic drop in its flow rate, with levels nearing historic lows in at least two cities, according to the national agency responsible for overseeing land and water resource management. The declining water levels are cause for concern, as they can have significant impacts on the local ecosystem, including wildlife, vegetation, and human populations that rely on the river for various purposes.

Nationwide, snow-related water resources were forty-five percent lower in mid-February than the 10-year standard, according to Fondazione CIMA, a research study institute.

Meteo France stated the current dry time in the country was unexpected to last much longer, with rainfall forecast in the south of the country on Wednesday.

The previous record for a wintertime drought in France was 22 days in 1989.

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