France weather outlook: cooler in north, high temperatures to remain in south

Heatwave conditions will continue across the south of France until at least Tuesday, while much of the rest of the country is set for a more settled week with temperatures close to seasonal averages.

Seven southern departments remain on high (orange) alert for heatwaves on July 19: Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Corse-du-Sud, Haute-Corse, Gard, Hérault and Var. 

Saturday saw several monthly heat records broken in Provence, including 40.8C in Cogolin and Les Arcs (Var).

Forecast for the week 

Sunday: The Mediterranean coast remains the hottest part of France, with afternoon temperatures of 35C to 40C and tropical nights of 22C to 26C. 

Elsewhere, much of the country will be sunny with temperatures around 25C in northern regions. Isolated thunderstorms are possible later in parts of the south-west.

Monday: The heat expands into Occitanie and southern Nouvelle-Aquitaine, where temperatures of 35C to 38C are expected. 

Conditions remain largely sunny nationwide, although cloud cover may develop north of the Seine and isolated storms remain possible over mountain areas.

Tuesday: Little change is expected. Temperatures remain above 33C across much of the southern third of France, while the north stays between 24C and 27C. 

Strong northerly Mistral and Tramontane winds are forecast around the Mediterranean, with gusts of up to 80km/h.

Wednesday and Thursday: High pressure will continue to bring settled, dry weather across most of the country. 

Morning temperatures will generally range from 10C to 15C in northern France before rising to the mid-20Cs during the day.

The Mediterranean coast will remain hotter.

Forecasters say temperatures could begin rising again from Friday if very warm air moves north from Spain, although confidence in that outlook remains lower.

Extreme fire risk continues

The combination of intense heat, dry vegetation and strong winds is maintaining an extreme wildfire risk around the Mediterranean coast.

Var and Bouches-du-Rhône remain on the highest (red) alert level for the risk of forest fires on Sunday, while 14 other departments are on orange alert.

Authorities warn that strengthening mistral and tramontane winds early this week will further dry vegetation and increase the risk of fires spreading rapidly, particularly in Provence and along the Mediterranean coast.