France breaks record with 40 consecutive days of rainfall, flooding continues in some areas

2026-02-24 22:37:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

France breaks record with 40 consecutive days of rainfall, flooding continues in

Météo-France has announced that a record 40-day streak of uninterrupted rainfall in France ended on Monday, but the flooding situation remains worrying in some regions of the country.

The rainfall, which began on January 14 and lasted until February 22, constitutes the longest period of rain recorded since measurements began in 1959. The previous record was set in 2023 with 32 consecutive days of rainfall.

According to Météo-France's definition, a "rainy day" is considered any 24-hour period when the average amount of precipitation reaches at least 1 millimeter. On Monday, that figure fell to 0.7 mm, officially ending this historic streak.

Floods and alarms

Vigicrues, the national flood monitoring agency, warns that the water level will fall "very slowly", even if the weather improves in the coming days.

Two departments, Charente-Maritime and Maine-et-Loire, remain under red flood alert. Meanwhile, 58 waterways in 45 departments are under watch, including the Charente rivers in the Saintes area and the Maine in the Angers area, where significant flooding is reported.

Authorities have stressed that even areas under yellow alert pose a risk, as rivers may overflow their banks in some areas.

Causes and impact of climate

According to Météo-France, the heavy rainfall is linked to a series of storms across the Atlantic, influenced by two anticyclones positioned over Africa and Northern Europe. The agency emphasizes that climate change plays a role in the intensification of rainfall.

"A warmer atmosphere contains more water vapor, increasing the potential for intense precipitation and shifting its timing," the agency explains.

Since January 1, parts of Brittany, southwestern France and the Mediterranean coast have recorded the equivalent of an entire winter's worth of rainfall. February is already ranked as the wettest month since 1959, while the winter of 2025–2026 is expected to be among the 10 wettest winters on record.

Weather forecast

Although the start of the week brings drier weather and exceptionally mild temperatures – expected to reach 15 to 20°C across much of the country – rainfall is forecast to return from Thursday evening to Friday morning.

Authorities are urging citizens to exercise caution, as the ground remains saturated with water and the risk of flooding continues./ CNA