Heat records in the south-east for the month of January, according to Météo-France

Europe 1 with AFP 11:50 a.m., January 25, 2024

The strong mild weather which crosses all of France after a cold episode set several new heat records on Wednesday for the month of January along the Mediterranean, where the rain deficit continues, Météo-France announced on Thursday.

“Monthly records for maximum temperatures were reached in the south-east of the country, around the Mediterranean,” indicated Météo-France, citing several unprecedented measurements between Hérault and Var.

More than 25 degrees in Perpignan

On Wednesday, 22.1°C was recorded at the measurement station at Montpellier airport, clearly erasing the previous record measured at 21.2°C in 2002. At Nîmes airport and Arles (Bouches-du -Rhône), the thermometer reached 21°C, in Aigues-Mortes (Gard) 20.8°C and, in the Var, 22.5°C in Luc and 21.2°C in Castellet.

On all of these stations, the previous records were relatively recent, all set in the 20th century.

This strong mild spell is widespread in the mainland, but more marked in the Mediterranean regions where the peak was forecast between Wednesday and Thursday by Météo-France, "with 25°C possible in the surroundings of Perpignan, Prades, or Durban-Corbières, 20 at 22°C in Montpellier, Toulon or Nîmes".

“Such mildness is remarkable for a month of January but it is not unprecedented to experience temperatures above 20°C in winter,” Météo-France qualified Wednesday in a press release, citing 20.5°C. recorded in Toulon in 2016, 20.7°C in Montpellier in 2018 or even 25.4°C in Perpignan in 2020.

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January 2024, new record heat month?

In addition to the winter heat, "the entire Mediterranean region will very likely remain dry over the next 10 days, aggravating the worrying and chronic drought in the region, particularly in Roussillon," Météo-France warned.

"The month of January 2024 already promises to be very contrasting with a long sequence of coolness between January 7 and 20, framed by two periods of great mildness, the first at the very beginning of the month then the second currently underway. and which is likely to extend beyond January 31", according to Météo-France.

If this mild weather continues, January 2024 could once again be a month warmer than seasonal norms.

This would then be the 24th month in a row that monthly temperatures would be higher than the averages for the period 1991-2020, although they were already higher than those of the pre-industrial era due to greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change. 'human activity.