Storms set to hit France this weekend as heatwave eases

Storms are set to spread across much of the country this weekend as the latest heatwave in France finally begins to ease, offering some relief.

Météo-France said the peak of the current heatwave has now passed, with temperatures around 40C recorded across western, central and southern France on Thursday. 

On Friday, the hottest conditions are now shifting towards the east, while cooler air begins arriving from the west. The fall in temperatures will become more widespread on Sunday.

Météo-France described Thursday as the “peak of the current episode”, adding that the “gradual fall in temperatures” would begin in the west on Friday before spreading across the country on Sunday.

Storms expected this weekend

Friday will see the first storm arrivals, with thunderstorms developing mainly over mountainous areas including the Alps and Massif Central.

Storm alerts cover a wide area from the Loire Valley through central and southwestern France, including the Western Pyrenees, as well as parts of the Rhône Valley, Alps, Provence and the Mediterranean coast. Corsica is also under alert, with thunderstorms possible. 

A map of today's storms alerts from Meteo France is available here.

Then the bigger change comes on Saturday, as cooler Atlantic air meets the very warm and humid air left behind by the heatwave. This will make the atmosphere unstable, with thunderstorms expected across parts of southern and particularly in the south-west and around the Garonne valley. 

Some storms could bring hail and powerful wind gusts, with locally intense rainfall possible.

On Sunday, the storm risk is expected to increase further, with showers and thunderstorms potentially affecting a large part of France, particularly from the south-west towards the centre and north-east.

While temperatures will become much more comfortable in the west and north, highs will continue in the Mediterranean coast and Corsica with storm conditions much less likely.

Heat will take time to disappear

Although temperatures will fall significantly in many regions, the end of the heatwave will be gradual.

La Chaîne Météo warned that “the fall in temperatures is expected to be very slow across the country”, and that it may be necessary to wait until the middle of next week before France potentially moves out of the current heatwave.

The forecaster also expects a “change of scenery for the second half of August”, with cooler, more Atlantic weather arriving next week. “The period from August 24 to 30 could even become very unstable, with heavy rain and thunderstorms to watch out for.”

However, it said that this longer-range forecast remains uncertain.

Drought remains a concern

The cooler and stormier weather will bring some rain, but it will not immediately resolve France's historic drought situation.

Météo-France has reported that the lack of significant rainfall combined with the exceptional heat has caused soil dryness to worsen since June. By late July, drought conditions were widespread across mainland France and Corsica.

So while this weekend's storms may provide temporary relief in some areas, France's wider water shortage will continue to be an issue.