Heavy storms from Thursday: weekly weather outlook for France
Low-pressure system forecast to bring several days of intense rain to many areas
Storms are expected from the end of the week
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A ‘radical’ shift in weather patterns is expected to bring heavy storms to France at the end of the week alongside torrential rain that could last several days.
A ‘low-pressure system’, currently stretching from Greenland to Russia, will descend across Europe, with France at its centre, says weather forecaster La Chaîne Météo, which is owned by Le Figaro.
This will collide with an Atlantic jet-stream hitting the north and west of France to cause heavy storms and significant rainfall at the end of the week, particularly in the west and centre of France.
Some calm before the storm
The weather at the beginning of the week is already unsettled, says the forecaster, with storms hitting both the west and east of France on Monday.
Tuesday and Wednesday should be calmer but by Wednesday night the effects of the incoming low-pressure will bring rain to almost all of the country bar the south-east.
The Atlantic jet stream is set to arrive on Thursday with storms to follow.
Winds of over 100 km/h are expected in the north and west, with torrential downpours forecast along the Atlantic coast and English channel.
Up to 150 mm of rain could fall between Tuesday night and Sunday around the Gironde and Landes departments.
Elsewhere, coastal areas and inland areas in the centre-west could see more than 100 mm of rainfall.
In addition, mountain ranges in the centre and east (Vosges, Alpes, and parts of the Massif Central are also expected to be hit hard by the rain, potentially causing floods).
They will also face ‘intense snowfall’, particularly at altitudes above 2000 m.
The Mediterranean will be partially calm – mostly the western half between Marseille and Perpignan – although some parts in the south-east may face another bout of storms.
Will it continue into the weekend?
Early predictions from Météo France are that the rain will hit the country almost non-stop between Saturday (November 4) and Tuesday (November 7), scuppering most weekend plans.
Rainfall may stop along the Mediterranean coastline, to be replaced with sunshine, but elsewhere the rain could last into next week, leading to an entire week of non-stop rain in some areas.
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