French weekly weather forecast August 25 - 29: storms and temperature drop

A calm and warm start to the week is to be gradually replaced by storms and rain across France. 

The knock-on effects of Hurricane Erin in the Atlantic and, at the end of the week, British weather systems crossing the Channel will bring rain and winds to all of France at least once this week. 

Temperatures will drop as the week advances to fall below seasonal averages. 

Forecaster La Chaîne Météo said that weather conditions at the end of the week will feel ‘autumnal’, potentially heralding an end to summer 2025.

Monday August 25 

This is set to be the warmest and most peaceful day of the week with calm and sunny conditions expected throughout most areas. 

Storms in the south-west and Pyrénées are expected to dissipate before midday, and aside from a small risk of showers in the south-east, sunny skies will be prominent. 

This is particularly the case in the north, where there will be almost no clouds (wispy clouds may remain in the south). 

Temperatures of between 25C and 30C are forecast throughout France. 

Highs of 33C in Brittany and potentially 34C in Toulouse will be the warmest, although temperatures may reach close to 30C across Normandy and around Paris, as well as along the Mediterranean.

Tuesday August 26 

Conditions will begin to shift on Tuesday. 

The north of France will remain dry and sunny (with the exception of rain in coastal Brittany), with temperatures in the east around the German border rising slightly compared to Monday. However, they may fall by 2C to 3C in the north-west.

In the south, infrequent storms between the Pyrénées and the Alps are expected, bringing thunderstorms to the Rhône area.

They will avoid the Mediterranean, but most areas south of Bordeaux/Lyon will remain cloudy throughout. 

Wednesday August 27 

Thunderstorms across the mountainous belts will become more powerful, bringing heavy rain and thunder to much of southern and central France. 

A risk of hail and strong winds is also forecast, and at their peak the storms will run from the Luxembourg border down to the Mediterranean and Pyrénées, and as far west as Limoges.

In the north, winds and rain from the English Channel will cover coastal areas.

Temperatures will hover between 20C and 24C in all but the south-east, where highs of 30C are currently forecast near Nice.

Thursday August 28 

The stormy weather will shift south-east towards Provence, becoming centralised on the Alpine foothills from midday onwards. 

Nice and other coastal towns are expected to be hit hard, seeing temperatures drop to around 24C. 

Hail is expected from the Cévennes mountains to Corsica, including in coastal towns such as Nice and Cannes. 

Outside of the south-east, conditions will remain mostly cloudy, with rain still forecast in parts of the south-west, east, and Atlantic coastline.

A bout of storms crossing into France from the English Channel will hit Normandy late at night. 

Generally, temperatures outside of the south-east will hover at 20C, but daytime lows of 15C are possible in the south-west and in Brittany.

Friday August 29 

A dreary Friday is expected, as a low-pressure system from the British Isles crosses into France and quickly covers most of the country. 

The storms that began overnight near Normandy will push past Paris into central-eastern France, reaching Lyon where they are then expected to fizzle out.

Almost all other areas will see rainfall from the incoming clouds, with only the far south-east around Nice expected to remain dry. 

At the same time, winds will blow throughout, particularly in coastal areas. 

National average temperatures will drop to around 1C below usual for the end of August, and likely remain below average for at least the next week. 

Early forecasts for next weekend predict rains continuing in the north, centre, and south-west throughout, although there will be some respite along the Mediterranean coastline.