In recent weeks, continental France, with the exception of the Mediterranean area, has experienced significant amounts of rainfall, well above average and sometimes above the maximum recorded so far.
Precipitation levels, like temperatures, depend largely on how we feel, and this feeling can be deceptive. In a world where the climate is changing, we know that rainfall patterns tend to change: rainfall is more abundant, but less effective at replenishing groundwater or feeding rivers.
In the graph below, we compare the amount of rainfall at several dozen French stations with the average recorded between 1996 and 2022.
To better understand the graph, Météo-France classifies the intensity of precipitation as follows:
- light rain: 1 mm to 3 mm in one hour;
- moderate rain: 4 mm to 7 mm in one hour;
- heavy rain: 8 mm and more.
Let us specify that a measurement of 1 millimetre of precipitation is equivalent to 1 litre spilled per square metre.
