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Tag Archives: drought
Canicule: the Dog Days of Summer
It’s either a famine or a feast. We spent the winter and most of the spring grumbling about all the rain; now we’re taking refuge from the heat. Much of the northern hemisphere is experiencing unprecedented levels of heatwave: notably … Continue reading
Posted in Weather
Tagged canicule, dog days of summer, Dog Star, drought, heatwave, summer weather in SW France, SW France
21 Comments
2017 Preview and 2016 Weather Roundup
Bonne année, Meilleurs Vœux. Wishing you a happy and peaceful year and a better one for the world in general. Welcome to Life on La Lune 2017. This is a particularly special year for me and the SF (Statistics Freak … Continue reading
Posted in Weather
Tagged 2016 weather, climate, drought, frost, rainfall, rural life, SW France, Weather, Weather statistics
8 Comments
2016 Summer Weather in SW France: the Verdict
Yesterday, we did one of our favourite walks. It takes in the ruined Château de Labro, and goes up and down the wooded slopes of the secluded Seye Valley. We walked under luminous blue skies with barely a cloud. There … Continue reading
Posted in Weather
Tagged climate, drought, Indian summer, rainfall, summer, SW France, Weather, weather patterns
5 Comments
Drought in Southwest France
We spent the first six months of this year complaining that we had too much rain. Now we’re complaining that we are having too little. It has barely rained for about six weeks and the weather has been dry, … Continue reading
Posted in Weather
Tagged drought, dry August, rainfall, rural life, summer, SW France, Tarn-et-Garonne, Weather
16 Comments
Drought and Southwest France Weather July 2015
I have been reminded yet again this summer of how tough life must have been for the people who lived in our house up until the 1960s, when mains water was installed. Our property has two citernes (water-collecting cisterns) and … Continue reading
Posted in Weather
Tagged citerne, drought, foxes, Jean de Florette, Manon des Sources, Marcel Pagnol, rainfall, rural life, summer, SW France, water, Weather
2 Comments
SW France Weather August 2013 and a Conundrum
The weather post is late this month. This is because we have spent most of this week cutting and stacking four tonnes of oak wood for the winter. It is delivered in metre lengths and we cut each one into … Continue reading
Posted in French life, Weather
Tagged August weather SW France, drought, firewood, rainfall, SW France, Weather
10 Comments
Monthly Météo: Weather in SW France August 2012
After a variable July, this August was kinder to the vacanciers and was one of the best in our 15 years here. Indeed, at times it was a bit too hot, with a 10-day heatwave when temperatures nudged 40°C. The … Continue reading
Monthly Météo: Guest Post on SW France Weather March 2012
By popular request – well, one anyway – I have commissioned a guest post from the SF (Statistics Freak, my husband) on March’s weather. The SF is the brains behind our extensive weather statistics, gathered over nearly 14 years. I … Continue reading
Nature Comes Back to Life
I am constantly amazed at nature’s ability for regeneration. Following the longest and most rigorous cold snap in 25 years, everything outside looked dead. I gazed out glumly on the brown, seared leaves of my shrubs and anticipated having to … Continue reading
Monthly Météo: Weather in Southwest France February 2012
Just in case you hadn’t noticed, this February was one of the coldest since the 1950s. Down here, it was beaten only by 1986, when the temperature got as low as minus 27C in our district. The coldest temperature we recorded … Continue reading
Monthly Météo: 2011 Weather Roundup for SW France
First of all Bonne Année, Happy New Year, to all my readers. Apparently, 2011 was the year with the warmest average temperature since records began in France. I don’t know how they work this out and in July you could … Continue reading
Posted in French life, Weather
Tagged drought, frost, rainfall, SW France, Tarn-et-Garonne, Weather
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Monthly Météo: November 2011 Weather in SW France
The drought continues here in southwest France. Ten days ago we went for a walk where we normally have to cross a fast-flowing stream using stepping stones. This time it was completely dry. You could walk along the bed of … Continue reading
Posted in French life, Weather
Tagged dictons, drought, France, rainfall, SW France, Weather
6 Comments
Monthly Météo October 2011
Today is Toussaint – All Saints’ Day. There’s a saying in French, ‘Un vrai temps de Toussaint’ (typical Toussaint weather). This means that it’s grey, rainy and cold. Today is living up to its reputation and autumn has arrived at last, … Continue reading
Posted in French life, Weather
Tagged drought, Météo, rainfall, sécheresse, SW France, Weather
2 Comments
Signs of Autumn and Weather Update September 2011
Despite the unseasonably hot weather and the persistent drought down here, there are signs that autumn is here: There’s a perceptible nip in the air in the morning, sometimes accompanied by skeins of mist over the valley below. The swimming … Continue reading
Posted in Nature, Weather
Tagged autumn signs, drought, France, living in France, rainfall, sécheresse, SW France, Weather
2 Comments
Weather in southwest France: May-June 2011 update
Since we were in Corsica at the beginning of June I didn’t get round to doing the weather post for May. So now I’m going to treat you to a bumper edition for two months – May and June. Every … Continue reading
Posted in Weather
Tagged drought, France, living in France, rainfall, sécheresse, SW France, Weather
2 Comments
Dry gardening
I’m back on stream again, having had awful computer problems recently. This explains the lack of posts in the last week or so. These were solved only by investing in a new one. It’s a real luxury for the moment … Continue reading
Posted in French life, Gardening, Nature, Weather
Tagged drought, drought-resistant plants, dry gardening, France, gardening, living in France, rainfall, SW France
7 Comments
Weather in southwest France: August 2010 update
Every month I post an update on how the weather has been, based on the statistics we have kept since 1998. To see the other weather posts, please click on ‘Weather’ under the Topics tab in the right-hand sidebar. What’s … Continue reading
Posted in French life, Weather
Tagged drought, France, living in France, rural life, SW France, Weather
4 Comments
