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WEATHER

France braces for icy snap as flood alerts remain in north of country

Five departments in the north of France were still on heightened flood alert on Thursday, as forecasts predict a marked dip in temperatures across the country from the weekend.

Published: 4 January 2024 10:55 CET
France braces for icy snap as flood alerts remain in north of country
Firefighters evacuate inhabitants in Arques, northern France, after the river Aa flooded. (Photo by Denis Charlet / AFP)

Pas-de-Calais, in northern France, remained on the highest alert level for flooding on Thursday, while the body of a man in his seventies was recovered from a partially submerged car in the Loire-Atlantique département.

Flood waters had started to recede along the River Aa, officials said, though the département remained on the highest ‘red’ alert level on Thursday morning.

A further four northern départements – Ardennes, Aisne, Meuse and Nord – were kept under orange weather warnings, the second-highest, in forecaster Météo-France’s early bulletin. 

All five departments were set to remain on the same heightened alert levels into Friday at least, Météo-France indicated.

In Pas-de-Calais, 1,299 homes in 189 communes were affected by flooding along the rivers Aa, Liane, Hem, Canche, Lys-Plaine, Lys-Plaine, Lys-Amont and Lawe-Clarence, according to the Pas-de-Calais prefecture on Wednesday evening, as flood waters reached their peak along the Aa.

READ ALSO How to ensure your French property is insured for storm damage

A total of 450 firefighters from the Pas-de-Calais department were mobilised overnight, along with 120 additional firefighters and members of regional civil security training units from other areas. Rescuers carried out 115 evacuations in the area on Wednesday, bringing the total to 371 since Sunday.

Elsewhere, a 73-year-old man was found dead in his partially submerged car near Nantes, after apparently driving on a road closed to traffic due to flooding in the area. The victim’s partner had raised the alarm 24 hours earlier, after he had gone out for bread in the town of Saffré.

This is the third time parts of Pas-de-Calais have flooded since November. Between October 17th and December 31st, 464mm of precipitation was recorded in Pas-de-Calais. Over the same period in 2022, 296mm of rain fell.

There is no immediate let-up in the weather for those affected by the floods. Further rain and strong winds are forecast for northern and northwestern France on Thursday.

But a change from the mild, rainy conditions over Christmas and New Year is forecast from the weekend, as a colder, mostly drier air pushes into the country.

A dip in temperatures is expected from Friday morning. By Sunday, the mercury is set to rise no higher than between 0C and 2C at dawn across most of the country.

Morning frosts will become widespread from Sunday, January 7th, with temperatures dropping as low as -5C in the Massif Central and to the east of the country for much of the week. 

As children return to school after the Christmas holidays, morning temperatures in Paris, Amiens, Strasbourg and Aurillac are expected to remain noticeably below zero, while a chill wind is set to make it feel even colder.

Snow is expected in mountain regions at the weekend and, at higher altitudes, temperatures could fall as low as -10C, forecasters warned.

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WEATHER

Will we see the sun in France over May’s Ascension holiday week?

As people in France prepare to enjoy the two consecutive bank holidays, warmer temperatures are finally in sight. Here is what to expect in terms of weather for the 'pont de l'Ascension' week in France.

Published: 6 May 2024 12:09 CEST
Will we see the sun in France over May's Ascension holiday week?

Forecasters in France expect warmer, sunnier weather for the days ahead, after several weeks of clouds and cold temperatures.

Unfortunately, in order to enjoy the sun you’ll have to wait through a few more days of rain. Here is what to expect for the rest of the week and the long weekend;

Monday

Rain is the dominating weather characteristic of the day, especially over Occitanie, PACA, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Burgundy-Franche-Comté and the Grand-Est. Over in the west, skies will be mostly cloudy, and residents in Brittany and Normandy can expect storms later in the day, which could spread into parts of Centre-Val de Loire.

Where it’s not raining, it will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures expected to rise to between 14C to 18C across most of the country, but could reach 21C on the Mediterranean coast and 26C in western Corsica.

Tuesday

More rain. With the exception of the far west of the country, which will get a preview of conditions to come as Tuesday goes on, rain is the weather order of the day, with storms predicted in southern areas from mid-afternoon and into the evening. 

Maximum temperatures are expected to range from 14C to 19C in the north of France, and from 11C to 20C in the southern half.

Wednesday May 8th – Public holiday for Victory in Europe day

The long public holiday weekend arrives, along with the sun. Other than in the far north early on, expect sunshine and mostly blue skies – though occasionally stormy showers may develop in the southeast later on. 

Temperatures of between 17C and 20C are forecast in the northern half of the country, and between 18C and 21C further south.

The map below from Météo France gives a better idea of the weather across France on Wednesday afternoon.

Weather forecast for France on Wednesday May 8th. Météo France

Thursday – Public holiday for Ascension

Mild. Dry. Sunny. Your three-word forecast for Thursday. There may be a few clouds in northern France, but the south is wall-to-wall sunshine for most of the day. Isolated storms may develop in the southern Alps late in the day.

Temperatures of between 18C and 20C are forecast in the northern half of the country, and between 19C and 24C further south.

Friday – Pont de l’Ascension – Day off for many with schools closed in France

Overcast conditions return in the northern half of the country on Friday, to remind everyone that it’s not quite summer yet, but the skies remain clear in the south, with temperatures expected to climb past 25C in the southwest of the country.

Weekend

Other than a few thunderstorms in the south of the country, expect dry, warm, sunny weather across the whole of France over the weekend, with early summer temperatures reaching into the upper 20s celsius to match.

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