Temperatures rise before southern storms arrive: French weekend weather forecast August 8 - 9

Temperatures will rise across much of France over the coming days as the country is set to be hit by a historic fifth heatwave. 

Parts of the south-east, still seeing the effects of the fourth heatwave that began at the end of July, will see temperatures at their highest this weekend – up to 40C – before cooling next week. 

Other regions, including the south-west, Loire Valley, and Paris, will see temperatures increase this weekend before rising again next week when fully under the influence of another heatwave.

The end of the weekend will be punctured by a round of strong storms running across the south of the country.

Friday August 7 

Friday will be an exceptionally sunny day, with almost no clouds in the skies across the country. 

By the afternoon highs of 28C in the north, 33C in the south-west, and 37C along the Mediterranean are forecast. Some inland areas in Provence may see highs of close to 40C.

Note that in the south-east a very high risk of wildfires remains, caused in part by these high temperatures. 

Those looking to swim will note that the water is significantly warmer than usual – nearly 20C in the English Channel, up to 24C along the south-west Atlantic coast, and nearly 30C in the Mediterranean. 

In the latter, this is 5C higher than typical for the height of summer. 

Saturday August 8 

Conditions in the morning and daytime remain calm and sunny save for some thin wispy clouds in Normandy.

However, later in the afternoon there is a risk of storms in the Massif Central and Alps. 

Across the Pyrénées storms are forecast throughout the afternoon and into the evening, with the mountainous departments being placed on a tier-two yellow (vigilance) warning for stormy conditions.

Temperatures will continue to climb across the country, reaching 30C in the north, 32C along the Loire Valley, and 38C in the south-west. 

As of 09:00 on Friday, state forecaster Météo France has issued eight heightened heatwave warnings – all in the south-east – for Saturday, with well over a dozen on tier-two heatwave alerts. 

Tier-two alerts are currently set to be raised in Gironde, Haute-Garonne, and as far north as Côte-d’Or and Doubs. 

Note that these alerts may change by Saturday, as more information about the conditions is available. 

Sunday August 9 

Storms will sweep across France from the Pyrénées to the German border, bringing lightning, rain, and potentially hail. 

In turn, temperatures will drop slightly across all areas. 

Highs will drop by 1C or 2C in the north, but up to 5C or 6C in the south where storms are strongest. 

Areas not storm impacted – the north of France and French Riviera – will see calm and sunny weather. 

Official alerts are not yet in place (they are only given one day in advance) so residents in areas set to be affected should check for alerts on Saturday and Sunday morning. 

Storms may remain in place across Provence and the Massif Central at the start of next week, but this will not prevent temperatures from rising.

By Tuesday heatwave conditions are expected across the south-west and central regions, potentially lasting for several days.