France braces for gales of 130 km/h as polar winds arrive

Strong winds are set to accompany France’s cold turn this week, with gales of between 110 km/h to 130 km/h forecast north to south.

A calm start to the week will be brutally swept away overnight Tuesday (March 24) to Wednesday as polar winds move in from the north. 

Rapidly covering much of France, the winds will be accompanied by significant rainfall. There will be snow at lower altitudes. 

The polar winds will influence local wind patterns, causing powerful gales in much of the country. 

Initially, winds of up to 70 km/h are forecast in the north of France on Wednesday, increasing up to 110 km/h along the English Channel. 

Later in the day, the mistral, tramontane, and libeccio (in Corsica) winds will begin blowing, reaching up to 130 km/h between Wednesday and Friday. 

Protect homes and cars from gales 

As of 08:00 on Tuesday morning, state forecaster Météo France has issued several tier-two yellow alerts for strong wind in the north of France. 

The lowest of all alert levels, the forecaster nevertheless advises people to be cautious when outside, and to keep up to date with local reports. 

Alerts may increase as the weather progresses, particularly in the south where winds will be stronger, and residents should check the state forecaster’s website (official updates are only given a maximum of one day in advance). 

If warning signs increase, advice includes staying home wherever possible, tying down outdoor furniture to prevent it from blowing away, and making sure your vehicle is parked out of the way of any trees that could be uprooted.

Currently, thunderstorms are not forecast for this week.

However, some areas in the south will see a combination of rain and wind later in the week. If storms do appear, advice on how to prepare yourself and your home is available here.