French weekly weather forecast December 15 - 19: heavy rain in south

Two bouts of rainfall are set to hit the south of France this week, with an épisode cévenol bringing downpours to parts of the Massif Central. 

Temperatures will remain well above-average however, with the air humid and skies grey. Snow is expected at 1,700m in the Alps and Pyrénées. 

Monday December 15 

Calm, if grey, skies will dominate northern and central areas of France, with a slight risk of showers along the Brittany coastline. 

In the south, storms formed in the Mediterranean threaten Corsica and the southern Mediterranean coast, bringing rain and strong winds.

Heightened weather warnings are not yet in place from state forecaster Météo France but low-level alerts may increase based on the storm’s progression, particularly later on in the evening as it moves inland into Provence and Occitanie. 

Highs of around 10C - 12C in the north and up to 15C across the south from Bordeaux to Nice are possible. 

Tuesday December 16 

Thunderstorms will continue across the southern coast, with a risk of flooding depending on overnight rainfall. 

The Cévennes valley will see the brunt of the rain, as the storms lead to an épisode cévenol. 

Well over 160mm of rainfall is possible in the Massif Central between Monday and Wednesday, with the heaviest downpours occurring on Tuesday. 

Residents in the Massif Central and Corsica should check for weather updates on Tuesday morning, as heightened alerts may be raised overnight. 

Temperatures remain similar to Monday, although they will drop in the east, where highs of 4C are possible near the German border. 

Wednesday December 17 

Weather patterns responsible for the Mediterranean storms will move southwards, leaving mainland France mostly clear but continuing to threaten Corsica. 

Sunshine is expected across the south, although temperatures will remain unchanged and winds may still be fairly strong. 

Greyer skies are expected in the north, with showers along the English Channel coastline. 

Highs of 9C - 10C in the north are slightly lower than the start of the week, but in the south remain constant.

Thursday December 18 

Rain will be limited to the western Mediterranean coastline and parts of Brittany, but elsewhere mostly clear skies and calm weather is forecast.

Temperatures will again rise in the north and remain consistent in the south, with highs of 12C - 15C in much of the country bar the eastern borders. 

These conditions are more similar to those usually experienced in early April than to the week before Christmas. 

Note however that rain will move inland overnight, impacting Normandy and the Rhône Valley. 

Friday December 19 

This rainfall will continue and persist throughout Friday, with the western, southern, and northern coastlines all seeing prolonged downpours. 

Clouds from the Mediterranean will move rapidly northwards, bringing showers to most of France. 

Skies will also be mostly grey and cloudy, even in areas where rain stops.

Despite this, temperatures will remain around the same as Thursday, and the air will be humid from the rainfall, giving a deceptively warm touch to the conditions. 

Early forecasts for the weekend see scattered rainfall across most of France, and a sustained period of rain on the Mediterranean coast.