French weekend weather forecast May 30 - 31: heatwave ends, storms in east

Temperatures will drop across most regions this weekend, spelling an end to a May heatwave that has broken hundreds of records. 

This included an all-time May high of 37.8C near Angoulême (Charente), with around 100 other local records smashed on Thursday (May 28).

Conditions will become cooler on Saturday before a more noticeable drop on Sunday, with the north and west in particular seeing temperatures drop by around 10C across the weekend.

The arrival of thunderstorms in the east on Sunday will also affect conditions, however parts of the south will remain at around 36C.

Friday May 29 

Friday will be the final full day of heatwave conditions, with the western coast and parts of the mouth, south, and centre all seeing very high temperatures remain in place.

This includes highs of 35C in Nantes and Bordeaux, 34C in Paris and Toulouse, and highs of 30C and above across Normandy and central regions. 

In its Friday morning bulletin state forecaster Météo France placed 11 departments on a heightened warning for canicule (heatwave conditions), located in the west as well as Paris.

However, the end to the sweltering conditions is noticeable along northern coastlines and in Brittany, where temperatures will start at around 20C, only getting higher when moving inland. 

Along the Mediterranean, highs of 27C - 30C are lower than in recent days. 

Cloud coverage across the north of the country should help make the ‘feel’ of temperatures outside more bearable, but in the south plenty of sunshine is still forecast. 

Rain is limited to brief showers near the Belgian border and inland Provence. 

Saturday May 30 

Saturday will provide a mixed bag, with temperatures falling in some areas while rising in others. 

The western coast will see highs of around 20C (Brest and Biarritz) to 30C (Bordeaux and Nantes), cooler than on Friday. In Lille and Normandy, temperatures will drop by around 2C.

At the same time, temperatures across the inland south and Mediterranean will rise by around 2C, reaching 32C in some areas. 

Paris and central regions will remain very warm, with highs of around 34C, and in the east temperatures remain mostly unchanged, between 31C - 33C. 

Cloud coverage will be more pronounced, impacting most of the country regardless of temperatures, but rain is not forecast. 

A risk of storms along the Loire Valley is possible alongside the north and parts of the Alps/Pyrénées ranges. In all cases, storms are not expected to be long-lasting.

Sunday May 31 

A more pronounced temperature drop takes place on Sunday, with the north and west particularly affected. 

Highs of 22C - 26C are forecast across Brittany, Normandy, Hauts-de-France, the western coast, and several western inland areas, significantly lower than during the peak of the heatwave.

In many of these areas, temperatures will only be slightly above average for the end of May, as opposed to 10C - 15C above as on Friday.

Combined with forecasted cloudy skies, this will bring conditions more typical of late May and allow local areas to cool. 

Note that some outliers remain including Paris and Toulouse (highs of 28C possible in both) as well as Limoges and Bourges (highs of 29C, potentially 30C). 

Thunderstorms will move in from the east, covering an area stretching from the German border to the Mediterranean and running directly through the Rhône Valley. It may scupper any outdoor plans for Mother’s Day in these areas.

In addition to rain and thunder, these storms will make already humid conditions stronger, as temperatures along its path remain mostly unchanged. 

In the Mediterranean and Rhône Valley, highs of 36C are possible, even warmer than the beginning of the weekend.

Météo France has not yet issued warnings for Sunday (alerts are only provided one day in advance), but for those in the east it is worth checking its website on Saturday. 

Early forecasts for next week show a brief respite on Monday – bringing cloudy but calm conditions – before more thunderstorms in the east on Tuesday. By midweek, a bout of rain will cover the country, definitively ending the historic heatwave.