Drought: 40% of soils lack water in France

After a dry winter, near-summer temperatures in May and a heatwave in June, two-thirds of France is already experiencing "dry to very dry" soils due to an "almost continuous lack of rainfall since September". Between September 2021 and April 2022, France recorded a 20% rainfall deficit.

"The situation is all the more worrying as it affects regions that have been relatively spared from summer drought until now, such as the Pays-de-Loire and Brittany, both of which were placed on alert in May," says Emmanuel Buisson, director of research and innovation at Weenat, a start-up specialized in connected weather stations.

According to Weenat, 40% of France currently has a water index well below the climate norm. France has experienced major drought episodes in recent decades (1976, 1989, 2003, 2011...) with an increase in the frequency of drought episodes since the early 2000s. This deficit threatens crops, especially wheat, an event comparable to the same period in 2018-2019.

Although very wet, the month of June did not manage to rehydrate the soil and stop the drought that began during the winter.

https://www.pleinchamp.com/actualite/secheresse-40-des-sols-manquent-d-eau-en-france