French Easter weekend weather forecast April 4 - 6: up to 30C in the south-west

Temperatures could see highs of 30C in south-west France on Easter Monday, as conditions across the weekend remain calm and peaceful.

Anticyclone winds from the Azores are set to cover most of France as the weekend progresses, bringing calmer and warmer weather following rain and strong winds this week.

Spells of rain on Friday and Saturday in the north and central areas on Sunday are the only disturbances in an otherwise peaceful Easter weekend. 

Friday April 3 

France is largely split into two on Friday, with grey skies and showers in the north from Nantes to Lille, and sunshine in the south-east. 

Rain will be persistent but weak, and grey skies reach as far as Bordeaux, Biarritz, and Lyon without bringing showers to these areas. 

Undisturbed sunshine is forecast past this line, with highs of up to 20C in Montpellier and Nice. 

In the east, where residents of Alsace-Moselle receive an extra public holiday for Good Friday, highs of 15C are expected, with thin wispy clouds but no rain.

WInds of between 70km/h - 90 km/h are forecast in the south, weaker than midweek. 

Mornings will still be chilly, with frosts possible in central and eastern areas as temperatures drop below 0C overnight.

Saturday April 4 

Cloud coverage continues in the north, although the risk of rain is reduced to sporadic and brief showers. 

Despite this, sunshine will appear throughout the day in the area through bursts between the clouds, which will be mostly white and less threatening than the grey clouds of Friday.

In the south-east, sunshine continues, particularly along the Mediterranean. 

Highs of up to 18C in the north and 21C in the south – potentially 24C in Perpignan – bring the national average above seasonal norms for the start of April. 

Sunday April 5 

Calm and pleasant conditions continue in the south, with much of the country seeing clear skies. 

An increase in temperatures around Toulouse and Avignon (22C) makes the inland slightly warmer than the coastal areas, where highs of around 18C are forecast.

Further north, grey clouds in central areas around Auxerre may bring brief showers in the middle of the day, but elsewhere skies will be mostly clear. 

Temperatures will drop slightly close to the English Channel, with highs of 13C - 15C in Normandy and Hauts-de-France, however in the east it may reach 20C. 

Southern winds will get gradually weaker. 

Monday April 6 

Conditions reach their peak for the public holiday, with clear skies across France and a further rise in temperatures. 

Areas close to the German and Belgian borders will see highs of around 15C and partially cloudy skies in the morning, but it will be considerably warmer elsewhere. 

Temperatures will reach up to 20C - 22C in the north and 24C in central areas, all under sunny skies. The south-east, in comparison, will only see highs of around 20C despite the sunshine.

In the south-west, an influx of warm air from Spain will see temperatures jump to potentially 30C, alongside a drop in winds and rampant sun. 

This warm air is set to spread across much of France on Tuesday, further increasing temperatures.