Extreme Weather at the heart of the meeting of Les Amis de la Fondation Sophia Antipolis.
- M Abti
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
On the 12th June 2026, a high-level speaker summit was held at the Amphi Mozart of the MINES PARIS PSL school at Sophia Antipolis Technology Park with the aim of informing the large audience through seven major topics, including Water and Food Safety, Mental and Digital Healthcare, benefits and possible dangers of Artificial Intelligence, Geopolitics and Governance, and finally the role of Art in the contemporary era.
The annual Colloque (symposium) by Les Amis de la Fondation Sophia Antipolis, chaired by Janny Plessis, skilled Journalist and Humanist, entitled "Est-ce que ce Monde est Sérieux ?" (Is this World Serious?), gathered on the stage distinguished experts in different fields, notably: Dr Nathalie Hilmi, Section Head of Environmental Economics at Centre Scientifique de Monaco; Professor Alain Bauer, Professor Emeritus of Criminology at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (French National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts); and Isabelle Grenier, Astrophysics at Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission).
This year's edition brought to the forefront a particularly timely topic: the extreme weather phenomena. The theme was developed by Karine Durand, Journalist, focused on weather and climate issues, with a solid training at Yale University, United Nations, and United States Government. Going beyond the often uncontrolled statements that spread through social media, the speaker, through a live video link, illustrated with objectivity and mental clarity what are the main causes of Global Warming, why are we also experiencing extreme phenomena in France, and in Europe, and what we must expect in the coming decades. She is also the author of various publication, including the latest book "Les 100 phénomènes météo les plus extraordinaires" (The 100 most extraordinary weather phenomena), published by Delachaux in 2025.
Although the situation is rather complicated and future prospects are not positive, her final comment still gave some hope, provided that everyone cooperates in mitigating the most destructive effects of the weather, as a consequence of global rise in temperature.
In her introductory part, Karine Durand clarified how Global Warming is at the root of what we are experiencing. The concentration of greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere is altered mainly by human activities, like transportation, intensive agriculture, and deforestation. Even some natural phenomena, such as volcanic eruptions, can have consequences for Climate Change, along with the Solar Cycle, which is currently not favourable, but those phenomena are affecting only 1% of the total contribution. And paradoxically, the decrease in air pollutants due to anti-pollution measures has contributed to rising global temperatures.
She also recalled that the greenhouse effect is part of the natural cycle of our Planet, being essential for life, keeping the biosphere warm. However, human activities have caused an additional greenhouse effect by releasing extra carbon dioxide and methane, which trap more heat in the atmosphere. Mitigating climate change requires rapidly reducing these emissions.
Then, there is a factor that plays a huge role in the trends of world meteorology. Karine Durand referred to the jet stream, a current that flows at high levels at about 300 km per hour. Usually its trend is horizontal but due to global warming it loses intensity and deforms. Thus, a contrast is generated between cold air in the regions of Northern Europe and warm air flowing in the South. The further north it heads, the more it lets the warm air expand, which then becomes blocked because these currents fade. This can also happen in reverse. Not by chance, in North American countries, we have seen cold air blockages in recent years that have caused record-breaking snowfall and frost.
Moreover, the lecturer named El Niño, a natural phenomenon that alternates with La Niña, which causes alternatively an abnormal increase in the temperature of the Pacific Ocean (near the Equator), and an abnormal decrease in temperature compared to the average.
The ongoing El Niño climate anomaly is of particular intensity. This directly affects the atmosphere, and not just near South America but also Australia, North America, Africa are involved, while in Europe its influence is less marked. As reaffirmed by the speaker, this circumstance is not necessarily the origin of extreme weather, but it usually produce some negative effects, generating a further increase in global warming, thus fuelling heat waves in Europe.
Last but not least, Karine Durand pointed out another issue which is subverting global climate balances. The so called Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which includes the Gulf Stream, is pivotal to distribute heat and cold equally. Scientists confirm that the AMOC is currently weakening due to influxes of freshwater from melting glaciers and rising global temperatures. This disruption alters heat distribution across Planet Earth, leading to localised very cold areas while the rest of the Globe continues to warm. Between 2100 and 2300 it could then generate a marked cooling in northern France, the British Isles, Iceland and Greenland.
On the other side, there is already a worrying phenomenon of desertification rising from the Maghreb towards the south-east of the Mediterranean Region. The lack of water is progressively transforming vegetation. It is estimated in France that southern vegetation moves north by 3-4 km each year. Furthermore, climate extremism is generating excessive expansion of soil clays as opposed to excessive restriction during dry periods. This alternation is increasingly affecting the stability of buildings generating dangerous cracks in load-bearing walls that can put the real estate market in crisis, according to the latest estimates of some insurance agencies.
In view of those severe trends, floods are the most obvious problems due to the progression of urbanisation and the subsequent artificial transformation of natural ecosystems that are making soils increasingly impermeable, already put to the test by increasingly strong heat waves. The risk is higher considering that in Northern Italy, Southeastern France (including the Alpes Côte d'Azur Region), and Eastern Spain, thunderstorm supercells and hailstorms, with larger grains than average, are more frequent. They are slightly replacing large storms moved by strong winds. A not good news for the European wind renewable-energy market!
Despite this challenging situation, Karine Durand wanted to send some positive vibes at the end of her speech. She claimed to stay hopeful, while encouraging the audience to choose Nature-based Solutions, through three main axes: 1. the Preservation of Ecosystems; 2. the Improvement of Eco-Management; and 3. the Restoration of degraded Natural Areas. She finally highlighted that the more we leave Nature to grow, the less catastrophic risks we will have. The more we transform Natural Habitats, the more we expose ourselves to serious weather risks. And the good news is that each of us can do our part, both as individuals and as members of communities, by asking local decision makers to apply Nature-based Solutions in urban and extra-urban land management, both in inland areas and in coastal areas.***
✒️ Maurice Abbati
Strategic Communication Specialist, Editor in Chief, Journalist, Executive.
Lecturer and Author in English in the field of Environmental Communication to foster Circular and Blue Economy
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