Calm and dry for most, some storms: French weekend weather outlook May 17 - 18
Temperatures will rise to above seasonal norms on Sunday
Conditions will be mild almost everywhere
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A calm weekend is in store for most of France. However pockets of storms will remain in the south-east and the north may be cloudy. Conditions should otherwise be pleasant and typical of mid to late May.
Friday May 16
Friday is set to be calm and sunny almost everywhere in France although intermittent rain will hit the Riviera throughout the day and thunderstorms in the Alps may roll down to the coastal areas there but they are unlikely to be severe.
Sparse cloudy coverage is also forecast across the Pyrénées but outside of these areas sun will be plentiful, providing a summery start to the weekend.
Temperatures will mostly hover at around 20C - 22C, slightly lower in the coastal north and Brittany (around 17C) and higher in Provence and Occitanie (up to 25C).
Saturday May 17
Conditions on Saturday will bring quintessential late-spring weather.
The sun will again shine across most of the country, although north of the Seine clouds are expected for most of the day.
Temperatures of between 19C and 23C are forecast and up to 25C in Bordeaux and Toulouse.
However, early morning temperatures in the north will be as low as 6C.
Rain may hit the south-east, but it is less likely than on Friday, and the main cities such as Nice and Cannes – where the eponymous film festival is underway – should remain dry.
Conditions are set to remain peaceful well into the night, meaning anyone attending a late-night event at a museum should remain dry.
Sunday May 18
Conditions will be almost identical to Saturday with sunny skies everywhere except the north.
A risk of storms in the south-east and Alps persists, but Corsica is less likely to be impacted than previous days.
The one major difference will be a rise in temperatures by 2C to 3C compared to the previous days.
It may reach up to 20C in the north (even under the clouds) and around 26C/27C in the south.
It will feel hotter due to the lack of cloud coverage.
Readers in the south should take advantage of the conditions as early forecasts for next week indicate Atlantic storms sweeping across the southern half of France from Monday (May 19 onwards).
Temperatures will get progressively colder as the week goes on.
