Orange alert for snowfall

SNOWY weather was predicted to cross over from the UK to France from this morning, spreading across France as the day goes on.

Météo France issued an orange alert for this evening in Ile-de-France, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Picardy and Seine-Maritime. This warns of dangerous conditions, with people asked to take great care if going out, due to factors like black ice on the roads.

Some light snowfall mixed with rain was expected at first in an area from Normandy to the Nord.

Météo France predicts that late in the afternoon, in an area from Seine-Maritime to the Nord-Pas-de-Calais, then in the early evening in the Ile-de-France, there will be heavier snow which will lie on the ground.

There may be around 5cm of snow in Seine-Maritime, Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais, with certain coastal areas seeing 8-10cm. About 2-5cm is expected in the Ile-de-France.

Overnight the snow will extend, with light snowfall in an area from the Belgian border to Paris and also in the Centre and Limousin, then spreading from Lorraine to Auvergne at the end of the night.

There will also be snow in the Pyrenees above 500m.

Light snowfall could also be experienced in some other areas, though the snow may not stay on the ground.

The snowy weather is due to a depression bringing cold air coming down from the pole and humid air coming up from the Mediterranean, said weather consultancy Météo Consult. This was likely to bring “a long period of bad wintry weather over France, with very frequent snowfall at the start of this week”.

Photo: Météo France