French weekly weather forecast June 13 - 14: 35C in south-west, cooler elsewhere

Temperatures of 35C are forecast for the south-west this weekend as a heatwave hits the area but conditions elsewhere are set to be cooler than first expected. 

Midweek reports of a heatwave across all of France caused by hot winds from Spain and North Africa and spurred on by a high-pressure wind system from the Azores predicted that by Sunday the country would be covered under a ‘heat dome’. 

Current forecasts however estimate that while temperatures will increase significantly in the south-west – and the west and centre will see higher than average readings – some other areas will be mostly unaffected, including the north and Riviera. 

However, the heat dome will be in full effect across the country at the start of next week, bringing high temperatures to all regions.

Friday June 12 

Friday begins grey north of the Loire, with thick clouds. 

These will be pushed away towards the English Channel as the day progresses leading to clear skies, but will persist in Normandy, Hauts-de-France and parts of the eastern border areas. 

Showers are forecast near the German border, but all other areas should remain dry.

In the south, calm and sunny skies will dominate. 

Highs of 26C - 30C are forecast for the south and 17C - 23C for the north. 

Saturday June 13 

The high-pressure Azores system will move northwards, covering most of the south, west, and centre of France. 

Skies will be mostly clear but wispy clouds are possible, alongside larger white clouds along the English Channel. 

Only the south-east is expected to benefit from fully blue skies.

Temperatures of 20C - 23C are forecast in the north around Normandy and Hauts-de-France, increasing to around 26C in central areas such as Paris.

Nantes and the south of Brittany will be covered by the high-pressure system, reaching around 28C and potentially hitting 30C.

Further south, most areas should see highs of around 30C, with inland Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie seeing closer to 35C, and some areas reaching this. 

Sunday June 14 

Contrasted conditions will appear on Sunday.

While areas under the ‘heat dome’ will see temperatures remain the same (this is largely the south-west and western Mediterranean, the western coast, and central France) those outside of it will cool down. 

Residents north of the Seine and the south-east will see conditions largely comparable to last week, with highs of 19C - 20C in the north and around 23C in Nice. 

In the south, highs of 30C - 35C are forecast, and 26C - 30C in central regions. 

However, the conditions associated with the dome – thick muggy air and clear skies – may make it feel warmer. 

As a reminder, temperatures are measured in the shade and do not account for winds, sun, etc. 

Skies in all regions should however remain clear, if slightly cloudy. 

What about next week?

One major change in the forecast relates to the progression of the heat dome. Initially, meteorologists predicted that it would cover all of France by Saturday and break on Wednesday or Thursday (June 17/18) with the arrival of storms. 

With its slower progression, however, the dome now looks set to remain in place until the end of next week. 

Early forecasts predict a dry and sunny week until at least Thursday, with temperatures climbing across all regions.

By Thursday, state forecaster Météo France is predicting almost all areas will see highs of 30C (except the English Channel) and in Paris highs of 35C or more are possible. 

Central areas and inland parts of the south-west may see highs closer to 40C. 

In such a scenario, heatwave warnings may be issued at the start of next week, particularly in the south where the heat dome took effect at the start of the weekend.