Record cold poses a serious danger to vegetation.

Temperatures have collapsed over the whole of France following the influx of arctic air and, on May 6th, set cold records at numerous locations.

The lowest minimum occurred in Barcellonnette in the Alpes de Haute Provence, on the eastern border with Italy, where the thermometer fell to -6.9 ° C, breaking the previous record of -6.5 ° C set in May 1979.

In Romorantin, 85 meters above sea level in the Loire, a famous producer of grapes for white wine, the temperature collapsed to a dangerous (for vines) of -3.8 ° C.

In this case the new cold record for this month was established, prior to -1.7 ° C on 2 May 2017, the record was therefore exceeded by more than 2 ° C.

A new record was also set in Gueret St. Laurent, 365 m above sea level, with -2.8C.

The record was only touched on at Alencon, with -1.6 ° C, against a value of -2 ° C reached on 8 May 1974. In this case the database started in 1932.

Lowest May temperature in two centuries

In Rodez, a city in southern France, the temperature dropped to -2.7 ° C, breaking a record of -1.9 ° C set on 9 March 1974.

Here the temperature database began in 1846, making it the lowest temperature recorded in May in the last two centuries.

Unfortunately, below-zero temperatures constitute a serious danger to vegetation and necessitated the firing of paraffin-based fires on all main vineyards, as also happened last April.

https://www.meteogiornale.it/notizia/58245-1-meteo-freddo-record-in-francia

https://www.meteogiornale.it/img-maxi/news/meteo-freddo-record-in-francia-58245_1_1.png

Thanks to Martin Siebert for these links