Drivers warned of traffic jams
Holdaymakers told driving conditions difficult in all directions – with thunderstorms in north-east and south-west
HOLIDAY traffic is expected to be jammed in all directions this weekend as traffic monitoring agency Bison Futé has set a red alert for difficult conditions tomorrow.
Traffic heading from the big cities to the holiday resorts is matched by the first holiday-makers returning home – as temperatures reach heatwave proportions in the Isère and Rhône while 10 departments in the south-west are on orange alert for thunderstorms later today.
Bison Futé said that driving conditions would be difficult all over the country as French holidaymakers would also be joined by families from England with the start of the school holidays across the Channel.
This morning thunderstorms were still hitting Ile-de-France and neighbouring departments, with residents in the north of Paris reporting on Twitter that they had been wakened by thunderclaps about 6.00.
The thunderstorms are moving north-east towards the Channel ports with gusts of wind reaching 100kph.
Lyon and Grenoble are both on canicule heatwave alert with minimum temperatures of 20C and afternoon temperatures rising to 36C. However, conditions are expected to ease from today.
Graphic: Weather radar screengrab from Météo-France
