Saturday 13 July 2024 – 11:18
A French mayor exasperated by summer downpours has ordered the sun to come out, and encouraged clergy to start “top-priority communication with heaven” to help end an unusual bout of wet weather engulfing his village.
According to the weather authority Meteo France, last week saw 20 percent more rain in June than 1991-2020 norms, with more than double the typical rainfall in some regions.
“I’ve never known weather like this” in July, Daniel Marriere, the mayor of a small village in Normandy called Coulonces, told AFP on Wednesday.
“It is hereby ordered that for… the months of August, September and why not October, rain should stop and be replaced by bright sun and a light breeze,” he wrote in a municipal bylaw.
“Parish rectors across northern France are to contribute through top-priority communication with heaven, and will therefore be made responsible for the implementation of this rule,” he added.
