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WEATHER

Storm warning for 100km/h winds in northern France on Thursday

Northern France is braced for very high winds on Thursday as Storm Gerrit arrives from the UK, forecasters have warned.

Published: 27 December 2023 16:49 CET
Updated: 28 December 2023 09:34 CET
Storm warning for 100km/h winds in northern France on Thursday
Waves crash over the coastline at Wimereux, Pas-de-Calais, during a storm in 2020. (Photo by Denis Charlet / AFP)

Snow, rain and high winds from Storm Gerrit have caused widespread disruption in Britain, with travellers warned of delays and potentially hazardous conditions on their way home from the Christmas holidays.

High winds arrived in northern France on Wednesday evening, with gusts of 115km/h recorded in Finistère, Brittany, and storm warnings remain in place on Thursday. 

Météo France has put seven départements in Brittany, Normandy and Hauts-de-France on early warning for high winds; Finistère, Morbihan, Côtes-d’Armor, Manche, Calvados, Pas-de-Calais and Nord.

On Wednesday winds of  115km/h were recorded in Ouessant, Finistère, 98 km/h in Boulogne, 95 km/h at Cap de la Hague and 92 km/h at Ile de Groix, in Morbihan, Brittany.

Winds are predicted to be as strong or stronger on Thursday, with stormy conditions likely to remain into the weekend.

Much of France will see heavy rain on Thursday.

Cross-Channel ferries could see delays because of the storm – DFDS says services are running with a 60-minute delay and advises passengers to follow its social media feeds for the latest information, while P&O reports that ferries are running on time.

On Wednesday, significant delays were reported at Dover because of “staff sickness within Police aux Frontières”, although traffic appeared to be flowing freely on Thursday morning.

Forecasters predict “strong gusts from Brittany to the Channel coast”, reaching the storm threshold of 100 km/h in western Brittany, and 80 km/h inland. In Normandy and Hauts-de-France, wind speeds will be between 70km/h and 80 km/h along the coast.

Météo France also warned that winds will remain strong, with gusts of up 50 90km/h, into Thursday and Friday, though it has not yet raised any alerts for those days. 

Later in the week, Météo France has said that “gale force winds” are possible across the northern half of France on New Year’s Eve, but forecasters have said that the models are not necessarily completely accurate this far out.

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PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

How hot will it be in Paris during the Olympics?

A recent report has warned of the dangers of extreme heat for athletes - but what should spectators expect if they are in Paris for the Olympics or Paralympics?

Published: 25 June 2024 12:56 CEST
How hot will it be in Paris during the Olympics?

The report labelled Rings of Fire – a collaboration between non-profit Climate Central, academics at Britain’s University of Portsmouth and 11 Olympians – warned that “intense heat at the Paris Olympics in July-August 2024 could lead to competitors collapsing and in worst case scenarios dying during the Games.”

Closer examination, however, reveals that the warning is based on previous heatwave scenarios in Paris, rather than any specific predictions for this summer.

Still, Paris can get pretty hot – so what should Olympics visitors expect this summer?

Seasonal norms

Held between July 26th and August 11th (Olympics) and August 28th and September 8th (Paralympics), there’s no doubt that the Games fall into the hottest part of the French summer.

Average temperatures in Paris for July and August are between 16C and 26C, falling slightly in September to 13C/22C. 

However, when the city is in the grip of a canicule (heatwave) temperatures can rise significantly – the highest temperature ever recorded in Paris was during a heatwave in July 2019 – it was 42.6C.

During a heatwave it’s not uncommon for temperatures to be in the high 30s and to sometimes hit 40C.

Heatwaves usually don’t last long – they are officially defined as days with hot temperatures which also see little fall in the temperature at night (the ‘tropical night’ effect) and it’s rare to have more than five consecutive days like this.

One extra thing to take into account is the ‘heat sink’ effect – the effect that makes cities hotter than the surrounding areas. This happens to an extent in all cities as the cumulative heat exuded from people, vehicles and machinery (especially air-conditioning units) raises the temperature.

It is especially pronounced in Paris, however, due to the geography which traps the heat and the fact that Paris is a city with very little green space – during a heatwave the city can be up to 10C hotter than the surrounding countryside.

Forecast for summer 2024 

The especially annoying thing about heatwaves is that weather forecasters can only predict them about a week in advance, so at present we have no way of knowing whether the weather will be normally warm or insanely hot during the Games period.

French weather forecaster Météo France has predicted hotter-than-average temperatures over the whole of the summer, but cannot predict individual weeks this far in advance.

So far the year has been unusually rainy with cooler than normal temperatures, although the sunshine has returned this week. 

So how should Games visitors prepare?

If you’re attending events within the city, be aware that not all the stands have shade so you should prepare for your event by using a high-factor sunscreen (factor 50 preferably) and take a hat that provides shade for your face and the back of your neck. Stay hydrated.

Loose-fitting, roomy clothing made from natural fibres (eg cotton or linen) will be the most comfortable.

Other than that – keep an eye on weather forecasts and warnings.

If a heatwave is predicted, weather warnings (ranging from yellow ‘be prepared’ to red ‘possible danger to life’) will be issued, along with advice on keeping yourself safe.

The city will also activate its heatwave plan if temperatures soar – this includes setting up brumisateurs (machines providing cooled water vapour) and showing a map of ‘cool rooms’ within the city. There are also provisions in place for elderly or ill people who are more vulnerable to high temperatures.

Even outside a heatwave period Paris has a network of drinking water fountains to enable you to stay hydrated.

Take the warnings seriously – every year people die due to heatwaves

READ ALSO The French government advice for staying cool in a heatwave

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