A new weather record has been set in France: 32 consecutive days without rain across the country. This is an alarming record, especially because it falls in winter, when in some regions it usually rains a lot and when the soil is in great need of water, writes AFP.

Data from Meteo France shows that between January 21 and February 21, there was no day when total rainfall in France exceeded 1 mm. This is the first time such a long period without rain has been recorded since complete records have been available since 1959.

The rain-free interval will definitely be broken on February 22, 2023, when precipitation is announced.

The record is valid for continental France, Europe, and does not apply to distant “overseas” territories.

In 2020, there were 31 days without heavy rain, between March 17 and April 16, at the height of the Covid-19 lockdown.

This winter drought is worrying for a number of reasons and comes after 15 of the past 18 months have seen deficient rainfall across the country.

The previous record for winter drought in France dates back to 1989 and was 22 days.

The water deficit in the soil has reached an alarming level, especially since 2022 also saw a drought. In general, soil water reserves are replenished during the winter, but in 2023, this does not appear to be the case.

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