New moons per annum

[ABCharlie]

I live in France and we're having an exceptionally poor summer (although nothing as bad as that in England). On the French news today it was announced that this was an exceptional year as it had 13 new moons in it. This only occurs every 50 or so years apparently. The French pay particular attention to the moon and its cycle for planting crops, veg etc. And the fact that there is/are 13 new moons means that it will be a very bad summer.

However, despite my own weak knowledge of the subject, I'm sure that the lunar cycle is over 28 days; therefore there has to be 13 new moons in a calendar year......doesn't there?

The BBC Weather people are blaming the jet stream being dragged southward by cold currents rising in the Pacific as the cause.

Does anyone have any insight into this? Especially the 13 new moons bit.

Overall I tend to go with the theory ( a bit like earthquakes) that energy (in this case negative energy) is stored up and then suddenly released.

Thanks for any help!
Kind regards,
ABCharlie

[kempie]

The time between two full moons (or between successive occurrences of the same phase) is about 29.53 days (29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes) on average. This synodic month is longer than the time it takes the Moon to make one orbit about the Earth with respect to the fixed stars (the sidereal month), which is about 27.32 days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_phase

[kempie]

2007 has 12 New Moons (plus 13 Full Moons).
2008 will have 13 New Moons, just as 2005 did.

http://www.moonphases.info/moon_phases.html#Ne w_Moon