Enjoy late September warmth while it lasts

The late September sun has kept temperatures higher than normal, but they are set to dip markedly over the weekend, forecasters have said.

Although the skies are set to remain clear until at least Tuesday, it will start to feel colder in northwestern areas from Friday, and temperatures will dip across the country over the weekend, dipping some 13C in the southwest in the next five days.

Thermometers on Thursday were as much as 10C higher than seasonal norms, with the mercury passing 30C in parts of Aquitaine. Further north, Brittany basked in 25C temperatures, rising to 29C in Rennes.

Earlier this week, the first frosts of the season in parts of the north.

On Wednesday morning, a temperature of -2.1C was recorded in Mourmelon-le-Grand (Marne). Elsewhere, the mercury fell to -1.6C in Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes), and -1C at Bourdons (Haute-Marne).

Similar daytime temperatures are forecast for Friday in the south of the country, though the far northwest may see some showers, while regions north of the Loire will feel temperatures fall as much as 8C compared to Thursday.

Over the weekend, the mercury will dip below seasonal averages in northern areas to between 15C and 20C. In the south, temperatures will remain higher than seasonal norms, hovering around 23C, with storms possible in the far southeast on Sunday and showers in northeast and eastern areas on Monday.

By Tuesday, however, temperatures in Aquitaine, which on Thursday enjoyed 30C sunshine, will dip to around 17C - though blue skies and sunshine are expected to dominate across most of the country until at least Thursday.