The year 2021 was like its last weeks, in terms of temperatures.
Gentle.
A bit of sunshine, and we would even hesitate to wear a jacket because the weather was so good over a large part of France at the end of the year, with temperatures often above ten degrees.
In fact, the past year ended in metropolitan France with temperature records.
What makes it the year "the softest ever measured since 1947", indicates Météo France Friday.
This phenomenon is consistent with the rise in temperatures induced by global warming.
This record of softness concerns the whole of France, explained to AFP Christine Berne, climatologist at Météo France.
"The temperatures were for eight days 5 ° C warmer than normal, with a national thermal indicator (average temperature average from 30 representative stations) of 10.7 ° C between December 24 and 31", specifies Météo France on its website.
End of the year on the podium
"This end of the year 2021 is thus placed on the first step of the podium, ahead of 2002 (10.5 ° C) and 2015 (9.8 ° C)", according to the public establishment.
Records were broken, for example in Nîmes, with 20.9 ° C recorded on December 29 and in Marseille-Marignane with 20.7 ° C recorded on December 30 (measurements since 1922) ”.
Other temperatures did not get the highest scores, but nonetheless remain eloquent.
The nights were very mild, as in Perpignan with 16.9 ° C on December 29.
"This mild period is mainly due to the hot air coming up from North Africa and Spain," said Christine Berne.
Unlike a heatwave, these mild temperatures are not correlated with strong sunshine, continued the climatologist.
“Among the 20 softest end-of-year periods across France since 1947 (December 24 to 31), there are eight years belonging to the 21st century: 2002, 2015, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2009, 2019 and 2021 ″, reports Météo France.
Climate change marker
"These waves of mildness in winter are the marker of climate change, it is consistent with the scarcity of cold waves, the last in France dating back to February 2012," said the climatologist, even if there is no 'specific studies on the subject.
These winter waves of mildness have no impact on health, unlike heat waves or cold waves.
On the other hand, they have an impact on snow cover, avalanche risks, snowmelt with flood risks and "on vegetation and agriculture because when the weather is mild, the vegetation can start and be affected. then by freezing, ”warned Christine Berne.
Likewise, the absence of gel promotes the proliferation of certain parasites.
