More cold weather on way
Cold weather is set to continue through this week, after a start of the year that has seen records for low temperatures
MOST of France is expected to have cold weather again this week after a winter and early spring which has seen record low temperatures.
Forecasters say the north can expect no let up in the cold this week, while weather will continue very changeable in the south.
The north of France, especially, has seen residents shivering recently: Météo France says from March 21-31 Lille, Beauvais, Strasbourg, Nancy, Caen, Cherbourg and Brest all saw the coldest early spring since records began. Throughout last month the north of the country saw averages of 1.5°C less than usual; levels not seen since 1987.
What was more, said Météo France, January saw this year get off to one of the least sunny starts since 1950, along with 2004 and 1970. Auxerre (Yonne) was the gloomiest place in France, with just 11hrs27mins of sunshine in the whole month of January – a record low. Langres (Haute-Marne) and Dijon (Côte d’Or) were not much better, with 13:49 and 15:24.
The continuing chill confirms the French saying en avril ne te découvre pas d’un fil (don’t take off any clothes in April); while the fairly mild weather we had at Christmas (with temperatures 5C more than average across France) goes to prove another dicton - Noël au balcon, Pâques au tison (on the balcony at Christmas, by the fire at Easter).
Photo of Paris in snow Rod Janois/Twitter
