Heat to intensify in France during the weekend

A drop in temperatures at the end of the week is set to be temporary as heatwave conditions continue across eastern and south-east France, and by the end of the weekend intense heat is expected across the country.

Dozens of July heat records were broken in eastern France on Thursday, including a 40.2C in Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin), whereas cooler Atlantic winds helped keep temperatures stable across the west and north. 

Friday July 31 

July ends with a mismatched day of weather. 

Clouds will cover all regions in the morning, with storms quickly developing and stretching from the south-west to the German border, covering the Massif Central and Rhône Valley. 

These storms will ease during the day but could remain locally severe.

Gales of up to 100 km/h are forecast in parts of the Massif Central, and there is a risk of hail across the country.

State forecaster Météo France has not issued any heightened alerts for the storms although several tier-two ‘yellow’ warnings are in place, asking residents to remain vigilant. 

However, 21 departments remain subject to heatwave alerts for both today and Saturday (official warnings for Sunday are not yet available).

Temperatures of up to 35C in the east, 32C in the south, and around 30C around Paris are forecast, with highs of 38C in the Rhône Valley the warmest of the day. 

In the west, temperatures will be slightly above average for the season but far from heatwave thresholds. 

Saturday August 1 

Forecasters initially predicted a significant drop in temperatures on Saturday, but this seems to have arrived earlier with Friday’s storms and is no longer expected. 

Rains will be limited to the Alpine foothills but elsewhere France should remain dry. Thick clouds in the north will not bring rain but may help with outdoor activities by partially blocking the sun.

The south will see calm and sunny skies throughout the day.

Highs of 29C in the north, 32C in the south-west, and 35C along the Mediterranean and Rhône Valley are slightly all above average for the season. 

Conditions in the south-east are unfortunately ripe for more forest fires, with extremely dry vegetation and Mistral winds blowing across the weekend. 

Sunday August 2 

Sunday will see a noticeable rise in temperatures across France, the ‘second phase’ of the current heatwave. 

Another day of calm conditions – if slightly cloudy in the north – will maximise the intensity of the heat (official temperature recordings are given in the shade so being in the sun can feel warmer than what the thermometer states). 

In the north, almost all areas save for the Normandy and Brittany coasts will see temperatures of 30C or above, rising to 33C in Paris and 35C along the Loire Valley. 

In the east, a return to temperatures of 35C is possible, but it is unlikely that highs of 40C will be reached or any heat records broken.

The south however will see renewed intense temperatures, nearing 40C across the south-west, Rhône Valley, and inland Provence. 

Early forecasts for next week see temperatures remaining high despite a new round of powerful storms across France on Monday and widespread rainfall on Tuesday.

In the east and south-east, high temperatures may continue until at least Thursday, if not the end of the week, although conditions in the north and west should be less intense.