Northern France hit by a "flash drought" for 22 days: what does this mean?

Not a drop of rain has fallen on the northern half of the France for 22 days. While many rejoice and enjoy the good weather, meteorologists are worried about this "flash drought". This very rapid phenomenon consists of a rainfall deficit accompanied by high temperatures and sustained gusts of wind.

The entire northern half of the France, "above a line between La Rochelle and Besançon" has been experiencing a rainfall deficit since mid-May, says Cyrille Duchesne, meteorologist at The Weather Channel*. "In general, we observe 50 to 60 millimeters of rain at this time in this area," says the meteorologist.

The northern half of the France has a significant rainfall deficit. The Weather Channel

Added to this are summer temperatures. The France will experience its first heat episode at the end of the week. "The thermometer will reach 30 ° C in Paris for the first time of the year," says the meteorologist. "The higher the temperatures, the higher the evaporation of the soil," he explains. This aggravates the drought situation attributed to the lack of rain.

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The warm northeast wind also plays an important role. "The gusts to 50/60 km/h recorded recently are drying out the soil even more," adds Cyrille Duchesne. However, the soils were very wet in early spring, until the beginning of May. "In fifteen days, with the sun and the wind, all this moisture present on the surface has completely disappeared," informs the meteorologist.

Presence of an anticyclone

Another worrying fact: this phenomenon of flash drought is long-lasting. "We have already had long periods without rain, but often between March and April," he says. This is exceptional for the period between mid-May and mid-June." The last similar phenomenon dates back to 1949.

This flash drought is explained by the presence of a particularly powerful anticyclone over the British Isles and the North Sea. "It blocks the entrance of any disturbance (bad weather, editor's note) on the northern half of the country," says Cyrille Duchesne.

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Conversely, thunderstorms have been daily in southern France and the Mediterranean for the past two weeks. This "reverse and unusual pattern" is the result of the absence of "the Azores anticyclone that usually rises over the south of the country," says the meteorologist.

Moreover, according to him, global warming is not responsible for this reversal of weather trends. However, it has an impact on the "duration of these disruption blockades" in the North.

Agriculture impacted

This flash drought has significant consequences for the agricultural environment and more particularly for "spring crops" such as potatoes, maize and beet. "These crops need a lot of water to grow during their first weeks underground," says Cyrille Duchesne. Today, faced with the cruel lack of rain, "these plantations are suffering".

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The rainfall forecast by the end of the week in the north of the country may improve this situation. Nevertheless, "the earth has hardened considerably under the influence of heat and sun," he warns, "so rain will most certainly run off rather than seep into the soil to feed plants and crops."

*The Weather Channel is a property of the Figaro group.