Between September and March, the recharge period when rain seeps into the ground to fill the groundwater tables, Météo France recorded 50% less rainfall. This situation prompted the prefect to put the department on drought alert.
In the Alpes-Maritimes, it typically receives 660 millimeters of rain during this period, between September and March. This season, Météo France recorded only 333 millimeters.
The prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes has therefore decided to sign a drought order for “alert status.” In practical terms, this means the prefecture strongly encourages the residents of the Alpes-Maritimes to be mindful of their water consumption and to ensure there are no leaks in their homes. This will help delay the drop in groundwater levels as much as possible.
This particularly dry year and the record sunshine in January have resulted in a reservoir lake that will likely not fill up, very low groundwater levels, and already dry watercourses.
To return to normal levels, it would need to rain several times during March, which is not anticipated. Currently, the present levels are three months ahead of the usual levels.
