Storms sweep through France, bringing hail to north and west

Powerful storms are set to sweep across France today, leaving nearly two-thirds of the country facing weather warnings. 

A conflict between cold air from the north and warm air in the south will cause heavy rain and storms to appear in the Pays de la Loire region this morning (July 9).

Throughout the morning, this rain will push into Normandy, and storms will move northwards, close to the Belgian border and the north-east. 

Stormy weather will then move southwards, sweeping through the centre of France in the evening, before reaching the Pyrénées and the south-west, where they will remain overnight.

Weather conditions expected throughout the day include: 

• Up to 40 mm of rainfall in the Loire Atlantique and Orne departments this morning, equal to around three weeks of rain

• Up to 40 mm of rainfall in the Massif Central this evening, equal to around two weeks of rain

• Gales of up to 100 km/h in the north-east, around Champagne and the Hauts-de-France region

• Hail of up to 2cm in diameter, both along the western coastline in the morning and the north-east throughout the day

Storms will continue into Wednesday, particularly in the south-west and east, but will dissipate by Thursday, which is set to be the warmest day of the week – and possibly the year – with temperatures of over 37C in some areas of the south-east. 

Read more: Weather in France July 8 – July 12: Forecast by area this week

State forecaster Météo France has placed 61 departments on tier-two yellow warnings today for storms, heavy rain/flash flooding, or high river levels. 

Whilst these alerts are currently at the lowest level, they may be raised later today depending on the intensity of the storms. 

You can keep up to date with all official weather warnings on the official Météo France website. 

Updates are posted three times per day, or more during periods of unstable weather. 

Read more: What action is advised with different Météo France weather warnings