Whatever the temperatures in December, the year will be the hottest ever recorded in the country, according to Météo-France. Multiple temperature records have been beaten, and the very extensive drought continues.
by Audrey Garric
The situation is so exceptional that it pushes Météo-France to establish its annual assessment a month earlier than usual. The year 2022 will be the warmest ever recorded in France, whatever the temperatures of December, ensures the public establishment, Wednesday November 30, in a provisional evaluation . Punctuated by extremes, this “extraordinary” year is a “symptom” of climate change. If it is unprecedented in the current climate, it will become classic in 2050.
The year 2022 will largely exceed the previous heat record of 2020. Depending on the hypotheses, the average annual temperature will be between 14.2 ° C (cold December) and 14.4 ° C, or even 14.6 ° C (hot December). This year is part of the tendency to global warming linked to human activities, and in particular the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, gas): eight of the hottest ten years since the start of the statements in 1900 have been afterwards at 2010 in the country.
almost impossible without global warming
Among the significant facts of a year which scrambled the seasons, 2022 was punctuated by three heat waves during the summer as well as two other episodes of heat, one extremely early (in May), the other particularly late (late October). Fall ranks like the warmest ever recorded, and summer like 2 e hot.
A record number of 33 days of heat waves was recorded in June, July and August. The summer of 1983 held the previous record with 23 days, ahead of 2003 (22 days). This summer period of all extremes has “probably” resulted in more than 10,000 additional deaths in the country, which has made it the deadliest summer since 2003, according to Public Health France.
The temperature anomaly reached + 3.8 ° C over the period of May, June, July and August compared to the period 1960-1990. “It is colossal and dangerous for organizations such as ecosystems, which are exhausted,” reacts the climatologist Françoise Vimeux, research director at the Institute of Research for Development.
According to the attribution study carried out by Météo-France, this summer period would have been almost impossible in an climate not warmed by human activities: climate change of anthropic origin has made it approximately 500 times more likely, and also much more intense.
On the whole year, 1,500 monthly heat records have been broken, five times more than cold records, “which once again shows the impact of climate change” , note Matthieu Sorel, climatologist at Météo-France. The cold periods were almost absent during the year, with the exception of an episode of late frost in early April which resulted in major damage to crops. Every month, except January and April, were warmer than normal.
You have 58.96% of this article to read. The continuation is reserved for subscribers.