From May to October, France experienced several heat waves that caused temperatures to skyrocket. These heat waves were accompanied by unusual occurrences such as wildfires in parts of northwestern Brittany and destructive marine heat waves in the Mediterranean.
Extreme weather caused by climate change has recently devastated human and natural habitats all over the world. According to the country's national weather service on Wednesday, France has had its hottest year on record. Adding that the unusual weather change in France is the result of global warming.
The French national meteorological service Meteo France announced that the average temperature for the entire year was higher than 14.2 degrees Celsius. France experienced its warmest year since records began in the early 1900s in 2022. The average temperature in France in 2022 is 14.2 degrees Celsius, with a range of 14.2 to 14.6 degrees Celsius possible. The previous record was 14.07C.
France's public health agency said in early November that an additional 2,816 people died from heat waves in France this summer compared to the previous five-year record.
Meteo France also reported that extreme temperatures in 2022 were combined with severe drought in large parts of the country. Rainfall this year is 25% less than normal. The driest year was 1989, which matches current conditions and has a 25% deficit in precipitation. The worst drought has hit France this year, and the country has witnessed an eight-month dry spell, the third-longest in history. France previously experienced a severe drought for 17 months from 1989 to 1990, and nine months in 2005.
