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Storms, heatwaves, frosts, snow, storms… Our ancestors also experienced difficult weather conditions. A look back at these climatic events.
©️Gallica - BnF
In Europe, the first months of 2020 saw record temperatures (+3°C above the average since records began). The winter of 2019-2020 and the first quarter of 2020 were the warmest ever recorded since the 20th century. This climate change is not without consequences: heatwaves, droughts, floods, storms, and other extreme weather that force populations to adapt.
Our ancestors also had to adapt to climatic hazards: a look back at some important climatic phenomena and their consequences on the lives of our ancestors.
Many summers were hot and scorching, with many consequences for the lives of our ancestors: deaths in the hundreds of thousands, poor harvests, price increases, epidemics, unemployment...
Heatwaves have been recorded since ancient times, but it was not until the 15th century that the word "heatwave" appeared.
It comes from the Latin "canicula" or "little dog," the name given to the star Sirius in the constellation Canis Major. Sirius is the second brightest star after the Sun and rises and sets at the same time as the Sun from July 22 to August 23. This was called the "dog days" when Sirius was most visible, a period that also corresponded to the hottest days.
Climatologist Van Engelen made a list of "scorching summers" since the 14th century, here are some of them:
- Summer 1420: the warm spring announced early harvests. Archives indicate some crops: cherries and wheat were ripe at the end of May, lilies of the valley were in bloom on April 10, and the grape harvest was in mid-August.
- Summer 1556: the grape harvest was early again, but the wine seemed of good quality. The harvest, however, was mediocre, and forest fires were reported as far as Normandy.
- Summer 1636: all over France, more than 500,000 people died of infectious diseases (the mud and water were infected).
- Summer 1705: it was 39°C in Paris for several days, even hotter in the south of France... This heatwave killed between 200,000 and 500,000 people.
- Summers 1718 and 1719: a particularly deadly period. 700,000 deaths were recorded, including 450,000 in the summer of 1719. The waters were unfit for consumption due to drought, most of the victims died of dysentery. Crops were poor and prices rose sharply, the state intervened to control grain prices and banned exports. The summer of 1719 was also marked by an invasion of locusts from North Africa to Languedoc which devastated crops. The Seine reached a historic low level: just over 26 meters above sea level.
- Summers 1747 and 1779: 200,000 victims for each of these periods, mostly infants and children.
- Summer 1788: it was not the heat that caused devastation, but the impressive storm on July 13. Wheat crops were destroyed, a period of famine was on the way...
- Summer 1846: the country was still facing the potato blight of 1845, hundreds of thousands of people died, and France experienced poverty and unemployment in the textile and construction sectors.
- Summer 1859: July was the hottest month in history. 100,000 deaths were recorded, including 60,000 children under 5 years old...
Le Charivari, August 14, 1854 - Retronews
Our ancestors also had to face harsh and extremely cold winters:
- Winter 1364-1365: one of the seven harshest winters France has ever known, it was long, intense, and snowfall was heavy. There were 15 to 20 weeks of frost and the freezing of major rivers. Firewood was expensive, wheat prices doubled, and trees and vines were frozen.
- Winter 1708-1709: seven cold waves were recorded this winter with several periods of frost. The minimum temperature was -20.5°C in Paris. The winter wheat harvest was heavily affected. Nearly 600,000 deaths were recorded.
- Winter 1788-1789: this winter was very harsh, with an average temperature in Paris of -6.8°C: a record low for an average.
- Winter 1879-1880: the Seine remained frozen throughout the month of December. -25.6°C was recorded on December 17 in Paris. The freezing of the Loire and Seine caused damage, including the destruction of the Invalidnes Bridge.
- Winter 1890-1891: winter came early in northern France. Temperatures were negative for most of France from November to February, a long period. Sowing was damaged, and the harvest would be poor.
Major climate phenomena such as heatwaves or harsh winters added to seasonal weather events like autumn rains or spring hail. These meteorological phenomena and their consequences marked several generations of our ancestors. Improvements in living conditions and advances in medicine have helped reduce the number of victims of infectious diseases, consequences of drought and glacial winters.