Drought: 10 departments have exceeded the alert threshold

Météo-France warns in this month of May: « Precipitation is deficient by almost 35% on the country » (see map below). So much so that this one should know a year 2022 of important droughts.

As a result, currently, about fifteen departments are affected by drought, of which ten have already exceeded the alert threshold: Maine-et-Loire, Vienne, Deux-Sèvres, Charente-Maritime, Charente, Ain, Drôme, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône and Vaucluse.

In Vaucluse, the rainfall deficit has even reached 70% since the beginning of the year, reports France Bleu this Sunday, May 8, so much so that the prefecture has instituted water restrictions since April 22.

« We had too many anticyclones and therefore too much calm weather this winter and not enough disturbances on the country, » explains the weather reporter Chloe Nabedian to Francetvinfo.fr.

And the trend is not ready to be reversed. According to Météo-France and La Chaîne Météo, no significant rainfall is expected in France at least until May 17. A hot spell for the month of May is even expected in the next few days, with highs of 30°C in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.

On April 29, in response to the risk of drought this summer, the government announced that water agencies will be able to spend an additional 100 million euros to help agricultural sectors adapt to climate change or create water reservoirs.