Temperatures of 30C forecast for south-west France - and storms
Conditions ‘more similar to August than April’ expected until the weekend
Bordeaux (pictured) is forecast to see the warmest temperatures this week
JeanLucIchard/Shutterstock
Temperatures as high as 30C are forecast across France in the coming days.
While temperatures will be above average in most areas, it is the south-west in particular that will see the warmest conditions, around Bordeaux.
Highs of 26C - 30C between today (April 22) and Friday (April 24) are closer to August averages than those for mid-April, notes state forecaster Météo France.
Similar highs of 27C in Limoges and 25C in the Pyrénées are also forecast before the end of the week, well above usual for the season. Toulouse will be cooler (around 22C) until Friday, when it will jump to around 27C, potentially slightly higher.
In the centre and Rhône Valley temperatures of around 21C - 25C are forecast, with Brittany, Normandy, and Paris all seeing highs of around 23C.
The north and east (around 19C) are in fact the coolest areas, and unusually on par with the Mediterranean and French Riviera.
Despite their unseasonal nature, the warm temperatures are not caused by a specific weather phenomenon (the Foehn effect for example can see the Pyrénées foothills be up to 15C warmer than the rest of the country) and are just part of a warm spell.
Temperatures in the south-west will begin dropping on Saturday (April 25) before a more general decrease in temperatures across France on Sunday (April 26).
Wednesday storm warnings
Warnings over stormy conditions are also being raised.
Forecasters were initially uncertain on the extent of disturbances on Wednesday, but now expect a belt of rain to sweep in from the Atlantic coast and cover the south, from Bordeaux to Nice.
This will coincide with storms in the Pyrénées and Massif Central, lasting throughout much of the day.
By Thursday however these should clear up, with a dry run in for the end of the week in both south and north.
