Cool week ahead for France after temperatures drop, frosts expected
Powerful winds will drop temperatures throughout the week, as Storm Renata batters the north
The weather is already significantly different from the weekend, with the summer-like temperatures being swiftly replaced
Kuttelvaserova Stuchelova/Shutterstock.
The weekend’s unseasonably warm spell has been replaced with a return to cold across France, with temperatures dropping by more than 10C in some areas.
A combination of wind patterns – gales moving south from the British Isles, the end of the blast of warm air from the Mediterranean, and a particularly fierce Mistral wind – has seen temperatures plummet.
Around Limoges (Haute-Vienne) the expected high temperature of today is only 15C, compared to yesterday’s 25C, and across the north temperatures are not expected to rise above 11C.
The national average temperature will drop from 13.9C today (April 15) down to 8.3C on Thursday (April 18) – more than 3C below the national April average.
The weekend saw records for warm weather at this time of year broken. A high of 32.6C in Tiranges (Haute-Loire) broke its all-time April high and a record 31.1C was recorded in Montfort-Sur-Argens (Var).
The plummeting temperatures will bring a risk of frost on the roads from Thursday morning onwards, particularly in the central and north-eastern areas of France.
Weather warnings for icy driving conditions are expected.
Read more: 4 tips to stay safe and check icy roads in real-time in France
Driving conditions in the early morning are likely to remain frosty until Saturday (April 20) in these areas.
Temperatures are expected to rise once more on Sunday, however, bringing an end to morning frosts.
Temperatures in the morning between Thursday and Saturday will likely be below 0C in central France, and -5C at higher altitudes. Snow is expected in areas 1,200m above sea level on several days this week.
Storm Renata brings brief but violent gusts to north
This morning storm Renata is set to hit the north of France, bringing gales of 110km/h to coastal areas around Calais.
Three departments – Nord, Pas-de-Calais, and Somme – are facing heightened orange weather warnings over the strong winds.
Winds will be particularly fierce between 12:00 and 16:00 but should die down before the end of the day, with the heightened warnings being reduced.
No heightened warnings are currently scheduled for tomorrow.
Read more: What action is advised with different Météo France weather warnings
