Weekend heatwave heralds start of warm French summer
Temperatures could reach 38C in parts of France on Saturday, according to national forecaster Météo France, which also warned of violent thunderstorms
France is set to bask in a high-summer heatwave over the weekend, with temperatures expected to soar past 35C in parts of the southwest, central and eastern areas, forecasters have predicted.
But the hot and humid weather will also bring violent storms, they warned.
Night-time temperatures are set to remain above 20C between Saturday, June 30, and Monday, July 2, national forecaster Météo France said.
The mercury could rise as high as 38C in France, when Les Bleus face Argentina in the first knockout round of the World Cup in Russia, while storms are set to develop in the southwest in the late afternoon and evening and sweep north towards Normandy.
Even Paris will feel hot, sweltering in temperatures of up to 33°C with high humidity and hardly any breeze. The PACA and Corsica regions will also see a drop in wind compared to previous days.
The hot air will push into northern areas on Sunday, sending temperatures soaring to between 31C and 34C - and thermometers across the country are expected to rise above 30C over much of the country on Monday. Storms could linger in the far northwest.
To the east of the Rhône and the Saône, blazing sunshine will dominate, with storms in the mountains at the end of the day. Some areas will be blessed with a 40kph breeze, cooling down the heat in Brittany, the Grand Est and Hauts-de-France regions.
The weekend's heatwave is set to herald the start of a long, warm summer. The north of the country which is expected to experience a hotter and drier summer than normal, Météo France said, with warmer, drier conditions dominating throughout July, August and September.
In the south, weather conditions are set to be about normal for the time of year - and it is considered unlikely that the country will experience the repeated heatwaves of 2017, which has gone down as one of the hottest summers on record.
Forecasters did warn that heatwaves (canicule) remain a distinct possibility in July and early August. They say, however, that because this year’s spring was so wet, in many areas the ground is still relatively damp (meteorologically-speaking), which is likely to limit the chance of heatwave temperatures this year.
A heatwave is defined by temperatures that are up to 5°C higher than average for the time of year, across three days and three nights consecutively.
It also warned that Corsica could experience a wetter summer than normal.
