Temperatures to hit 35°C in France this weekend
Temperatures of up to 35°C are expected across France this Sunday and Monday (September 13 and 14), as a possibly record-breaking “late heat episode” is forecast.
Forecaster Météo France said that temperatures would continue to climb from today (Friday September 11) and pass the 30°C mark on Monday, starting with the south of the country and continuing into the northern half by Sunday.
Up to 35°C is expected in Bourges (Centre-Val de Loire) and 30-33°C is forecast for Paris (Ile-de-France). Monday is expected to be the hottest day.
Etienne Kapikian, forecaster at Météo France, said: “This is a late heat episode. We have already seen summery temperatures, above seasonal averages, which will rise over the next few days.”
The Météo France website said that the temperatures may even approach “heat records for the time of year. In Paris, the mercury could hit 33°C, which would be a mid-September record”.
In fact, this temperature would be a record unmatched since September 15 1947, when it hit 33.2°C in Paris. In Bourges, the highest September temperature ever recorded is 35.1°C, on September 16, 1961.
The heat will be caused by rising hot air and an anticyclone weather event.
Temperatures have already been higher than usual for September, and these Sunday and Monday temperatures are set to be up to 10-14°C higher than the average.
It is not clear how long the heat will last.
Mr Kapikian said: “There is uncertainty for the days after; temperatures could remain high for a few days, or they could drop into thunderstorms which would make the temperature fall.”
The rise in temperatures comes after what Météo France said “has been one of the hottest summers on record since the beginning of the 20th century.”
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