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HEATWAVES AND DROUGHTS

2st PART

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DESCRIPTION

CAUSES OF DROUGHTS AND HEAT WAVES

WHERE OCCUR MOST OFTEN THE DROUGHTS

THE IMPACT OF DROUGHT

HISTORICAL DROUGHTS

HISTORICAL DROUGHTS

  • IN EUROPE

Droughts in Europe :

It is in 1303 that there was the most important drought of millennium. It was possible to walk across the dry Rhine.

Other droughts were in 1540, 1719, 1874, 1906, 1911, 1921, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1953, 1957, 1964, 1976, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 2003. It's from 1922 to 1952, that the France has experienced a very strong warming in the summer due to southerly flow repeatedly.

In 1788, in France there has been a terribly dry spring and summer, which compromised the crops.

In 1911, it was the only year of the century which has exceeded 95°F (35°C) during the months of July, August and September in Paris (32 days above 86°F (30°C) in Paris and 53 days in Marseille ! ).

In 1921, it was recorded only 200 mm of rain in Nancy and 278 mm in Paris. The drought lasted all year. This summer has really been even drier than 1976 in France.

In 1949, the summer started earlier. It had already recorded more than 86°F (30°C) in April in the northern half of France, and the drought has lasted all summer with extremely high temperatures.

In 1976, the drought was so important that everyone remembers as one of the worst drought years of the late 20th century in Europe (see below).

In 1994, July and August had 56 days of temperatures above 86°F (30°C) at Marseille-Marignane and 60 days of temperatures above 86°F (30°C) in the Luc with 31 days in July.

In July 1950, in Luc there were 19 days above 95°F (35°C) a record still not beaten.

In July 1983, in Carpentras there were 15 days of temperatures above 95°F (35°C) and 11 days in Marseille.

In 2003 from March to August, higher than the 1989 drought was installed in Europe (see below).

  • IN EUROPE THE DROUGHT IN 1976 AND 2003
    • - 1976

This year, beginning in December 1975 until August 1976, monthly precipitations were often deficient in the majority of French regions. Consequences, the water tables weren't charged. The drought was especially intense in the northern half of the country, while in contrast the Mediterranean was more strongly affected by excess rainfall. This is due to the warm anticyclone usually covering the Sahara and the Mediterranean countries, made up of dry tropical air, which grew up and parked in northwest Europe and thus deviated depressions to the south. From 12/01/1975 to 06/30/1976, it fell only 121 mm of rain in Paris against 304 mm on average. This drought has halved cereal crops.

 

- 2003


A prairie transformed into straw in Lozere (France)

This year was also very warm and dry in many areas. Rainfall was deficit from 50 to 75% in the East, East-Central, and Southeast of the France, which statistically that happen 2-3 times per century... Drying of soils and plants was higher than in 1989 or 1976 when it was hot and dry too. Large forest fires occurred in southeastern France (more than 700 hectares of burned forest), in Italy, in Croatia, in Spain (715 hectares burned in the region of Madrid) and the Portugal. In Romania, near Bazias, the water level of Danube had declined : it has reached a level of 1,50 meters, so more than one meter below the minimum level required for the navigation of barges. It reached its lowest level since July 1953 and several convoys of barges have failed in the Romanian sector of the river. In Austria the precipitations were 30% and 80% below the usual level.

In France from 1 to 15/08/2003 with strong heat waves in Paris the thermometer had climbed up to 102,2°F (39°C) then 100,4°F (38°C) in Bordeaux and 102,2°F (39°C) in Gourdon. In Karlsruhe (Germany) the thermometer reached 100,22°F (37,90°C), in the Southwest. In Switzerland, it was 100,04°F (37,80°C) in Geneva and this is only the second time that the city has reached such temperatures since the beginning of weather records in 1864.

The 08/13/2003, the water of the Mediterranean even rise up to 86°F (30°C) compared with 75,2°F (24°C) of average during the 10 days of heat wave, which has never been measured.

 

06/11/2003 a heat wave hit Europe.

 

Restriction measures in 76 french departments. They include watering
gardens, washing cars, filling swimming pools and irrigation of crops.

 

Precipitation in France from 02/01/2003 to 06/30/2003

Report period 1946/2002 percentage
15-40 % drier than usual
40-60 %
60-80 %
80-100 %
100-125 %
125-160 % more drizzled than usual

The gradual warming of the Earth's atmosphere should increase the frequency and severity of droughts according scientists, and greatly increase the number of days of heat waves in cities.

  • IN UNITED STATES

Thirties was a dry period with severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Canadian lands (Millions of acres of farmland became useless,…). It's the Dust Bowl drought. The drought was in three parts, 1934, 1936, and 1939-1940, but some regions of the High Plains experienced drought conditions for as many as eight years. In july 1934 the drought covered areas at 79,9% of the US.

During the 1950s, there were severe droughts. From 1950 to 1957, Texas experienced the most severe drought in recorded history. In California natural lakes were dry completely in 1953. In 1954 the drought encompassed a ten-state area reaching from the mid-west to the Great Plains, and southward into New Mexico. In july the drought covered areas at 60,4% of the US.

During the 1980s, drought was not only the costliest in US history, but also the most expensive natural disaster of any kind to affect the US. The drought, beginning along the west coast and extending into the northwestern US, had its greatest impact in the northern Great Plains. In 1980 and 1983 the Northeast US, Corn Belt and Midwest States are affected by the droughts. In 1980, a heat wave began in June with temperatures which soared to 90°F (32°C) almost every day from June to September. In Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, from June 23 to August 3 high temperatures exceeded 100°F (38°C) a total of 69 times, including a record 42 consecutive days. The drought and heat wave created water shortages in many towns etc. From 1987 to 1989 the drought worsened. It covered 36% of the United States at its peak. The drought of 1988 became the worst drought since the Dust Bowl 50 years before in the United States.

From 2012 to 2014 western US is affected by a drought. More than 94 percent of California remains in "severe" drought, and 55 percent of the state is in "exceptional" drought. Its area was comparable to the droughts in the 1930s and 1950s. That has inflicted catastrophic economic ramifications for the affected states.

Click here to enlarge this graphic of Percent area of the CONUS in
moderate to exceptional drought, January 4, 2000 to present,
based on the U.S. Drought Monitor, source NOAA


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