Latest news with #MétéoFrance
Local France
7 days ago
- Climate
- Local France
Eastern France placed on weather alert for severe thunderstorms
Nine French départements were placed on the second-highest weather warning - the 'orange' alert - on Tuesday by French national weather service, Météo France, for thunderstorms. Météo France map with weather warnings, on Tuesday June 3rd. After thunderstorms hit parts of central and eastern France on Sunday and Monday, more intense weather was expected on Tuesday for the départements of Saône-et-Loire, Jura, Ain, Rhône, Loire, Allier, Haute-Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, and Cantal. Storms were expected to hit Tuesday afternoon, from 2pm, and into the evening, with forecasters warning that they could be accompanied by hail, wind gusts of up to 80 to 100 km/h and intense rainfall of 20 to 40mm in one to three hours. Parts of south-west France may also see thunderstorms and rain too, albeit later in the evening as storms arrive. As such, Météo France may list some départements in the Occitanie region on alert later in the day. You can keep up with French weather alerts on the website. Advertisement READ MORE: Explained: How France's weather warning system works What about Wednesday? Forecasters warned that thunderstorms could hit the south-east on Wednesday, while the rest of the country was expected to see mixed weather, with some light rain in north-western France in Brest and Cherbourg, to sunshine from the Loire Valley to the Ardennes (including the Paris region).
Local France
28-05-2025
- Climate
- Local France
Forecasters predict scorching French summer
Giving accurate predictions about the weather more than a few days in advance, is a notable fool's errand. That, however, doesn't stop national forecaster Météo-France issuing a three-month forecast for the highly anticipated June-July-August period, a few days before the official start of meteorological summer. The forecaster makes it clear that its predictions are based on trends and are based on averages for the summer months, rather than being able to predict specific hot days or period of canicule (heatwave). MAP: The 5 worst French cities to be in during a heatwave And we're most likely in for a 'warmer than normal' summer in France in 2025, particularly in Corsica, Météo-France said. According to the numbers, there's a 50 percent chance that June, July and August will see above average temperatures, compared to a 20 percent chance that the next three months will be cooler than usual. Advertisement This is uncannily similar to the long-term forecast for summer 2024. History, however, records people in northern France wondering what had happened to the sun in the early part of the season, plus a memorable Olympic Games opening ceremony in a July rainstorm. Nevertheless, Météo-France indicates that the chances of a scorchio summer 2025 are higher still in Corsica, where forecasters say the chances of a hotter-than-usual summer are 60 percent. A cool summer on the île de beauté is a 10 percent likelihood. As for rainfall this summer, anything goes. The probability of a drier than normal summer is set at 33 percent, the same as for 'normal' or 'wetter' than normal weather. Now, the scientific caution bit: while these forecasts remain probabilities, they nevertheless attempt to 'determine the expected average trends for the quarter,' according to Météo France. 'Temperature can be considered globally for the season, but a specific event lasting between a few days and a few weeks can only be anticipated a few days in advance,' it said. That's boffin for: it's too early to predict heatwaves, storms, or any actual weather. These figures are probabilities 'mainly associated with the trend of climate change in Europe,' reports Météo France. The Mediterranean basin is more likely to be a summer heat hotspot, but, 'occasional cooler spells cannot be ruled out.' The next couple of days in France may offer a brief early preview of things to come then – with temperatures in the south-west of France expected to soar to between 30C and 35C on Friday. They could reach 29C in Paris, with thunderstorms, particularly in the south, predicted on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon before spreading across large parts of the country on Sunday.
Local France
26-05-2025
- Climate
- Local France
MAPS: The top five worst French cities to spend a heatwave in
Heatwaves in France are dangerous , and they are becoming both more common and more severe as the planet warms and they can be especially bad in cities due to the 'urban heat island' effect. In French, this is referred to as an îlot de chaleur urbain , and it is the phenomenon that makes urban areas hotter than rural ones. In îlots de chaleur , the heat becomes trapped, which can happen for several reasons such as high density, particularly of towers and apartment buildings, a lack of green space and concrete-covered streets which retain heat, combined with heat-producing activities such as traffic and air conditioning units. As such, temperatures are sometimes more than 10C hotter in cities than in the countryside during the daytime, and temperatures often stay elevated at night due to the heat being trapped in the urban area. READ MORE: Trees to trams: How French cities are adapting to summer heatwaves Advertisement Which parts of France are most vulnerable? However city design is also important, and can make the different between a town becoming an îlot de chaleur or not. Thanks to an interactive map created by the French public administrative body Cerema, which is partnered with the environment ministry and publishes studies on climate issues, there is enough data to compare heat risk by city. According to Cerema's research, France's 83 largest urban areas (more than 50,000 people) are all vulnerable to extreme heat, with more than five million people living in neighbourhoods considered to be 'highly sensitive to extreme heat'. In terms of where high temperatures and heatwaves are most dangerous, the data differs slightly based on who you ask. According to the French weather service, Météo France, the five cities most affected by the urban heat island effect are; Paris, Grenoble, Lille, Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon. However, in an interview with French daily Libération, a representative from Cerema explained that Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Marseille and Lille are the worst. Cerema found that together, these five cities account for almost half of the French population living in 'highly sensitive areas' for heat. It's important to note that these aren't necessarily the hottest cities in France - southern towns like Nice, Montpellier and Toulouse regularly top 40C in summer, but have urban design better suited to the heat. Paris, by contrast, suffers from high population density, a lack of green space and design issues such as its famous zinc rooftops which make it especially vulnerable to 'heat islands', even though it's unusual for temperatures to go above 40C. Paris Most of the city of Paris is covered in red, with almost a third of the city (32 percent) considered to be LCZ 2, or highly sensitive to the heat island effect. A study by Lancet Public Health published in 2023 found that Paris is the European city with the highest risk for heat-related death . Advertisement The city of Paris has taken steps to remedy this issue including a huge tree-planting programme, but in the short term, the city has also published a list of 'cool islands' or places people can go to escape the heat, such as parks and swimming areas. Screenshot of a map of Paris based on heat risk. Credit: French government, Cerema Lyon The third-most populated city in France, Lyon is home to over 520,000 inhabitants. Located in the Rhone valley, temperatures have soared in recent summers. During a heatwave in August 2023, Lyon beat its previous temperature record from the 2003 heatwave, hitting 41.4C. At the time, the city had also recorded 12 consecutive days of temperatures hitting above 34C, according to BFMTV . Screenshot of a map of Lyon based on heat risk. Credit: French government, Cerema Bordeaux Located in the south-west, along the Garonne river, Bordeaux has been accused of being slower than other French cities when it comes to adding green spaces and planting trees. Didier Jeanjean, the city councillor in charge of 'nature in the city', told Franceinfo in 2023 that he would describe Bordeaux as "a city of stone since the 18th century, and then it adapted to cars." Advertisement Jeanjean added that "at the same temperature, Bordeaux can be 10C warmer than the countryside because of the city's extra heat." Screenshot of a map of Bordeaux based on heat risk. Credit: French government, Cerema Marseille Despite its location along the Mediterranean, with sea breeze helping to cool off areas directly next to the water, central Marseille suffers from the heat island effect. As shown in the map, the parts of Marseille at most risk are the dense, built-up areas near the Vieux Port and the train station. In 2017, the city recorded a 15C temperature difference between the Place Castellane traffic circle and the Jardin du Pharo (also known as the Jardin Émile Duclaux - the lawn near the Palais du Pharo with views of the water and city). Screenshot of a map of Marseille based on heat risk. Credit: French government, Cerema Lille The northern French city may come as some surprise to readers, as this part of France tends to see cooler temperatures during the summer, but the urban heat island effect really comes down to a lack of vegetation and green space. Lille had, as of 2024, about 15 m2 of green space per inhabitant. In contrast, France's ' most green ' city, Angers, had 102 m2 of green space per inhabitant (as of 2023), the city said on their website . Screenshot of a map of central Lille based on heat risk. Credit: French government, Cerema How to use the interactive map If you are curious about other parts of France, you can check out the map on the Cerema website, which even shows heat risk down to individual streets. Screenshot of Cerema map, showing all French cities at risk of urban heat island effect. Credit: French government, Cerema If you add an address or city into the search bar (in the upper right-hand corner), you can see how that specific area is coloured. There are several categories of local climate zones, or LCZs. Those in dark red and red (LCZs 1, 2, and 3) are for areas that are 'highly or very highly sensitive to the heat island effect'. These are compact areas of towers, buildings and houses. These areas are classified as 'requiring major adaptation measures' to withstand heat. READ MORE: Flooding, wildfire and 50C cities: How climate crisis will impact each region of France After that, urban planning becomes more spaced out, going medium sensitivity in brown and orange (LCZ 4 and 5), eventually to a peach colour for low or variable sensitivity (LCZ 6-9).
Local France
14-05-2025
- Climate
- Local France
15 injured after lightning strikes zoo in southern France
Fifteen people were injured on Wednesday afternoon after lightning struck the La Barben zoo, located near Salon-de-Provence in the Bouches-du-Rhône département, the local fire department announced on social media . Some 46 firefighters responded to the incident. In total, at least 13 of the injured people - including four children - were treated as "relative emergencies" ( urgence relative ), BFMTV reported. The incident occurred around 2.50pm in a "flat, open area", a source from the fire department told French daily Le Figaro . The source also specified that one of the more seriously injured people was German. Advertisement No animals were injured in the lightning strike, and the zoo infrastructure was also unaffected. The area had been placed on France's yellow warning by national weather service, Météo France, for thunderstorms on Wednesday. Lightning strikes may seem like a freak phenomenon, but they cause 10 to 20 deaths each year in France. If you are caught in a thunderstorm, first try to seek shelter inside. If that is not available, avoid water and open spaces, and stay away from trees and tall objects.
Local France
17-04-2025
- Climate
- Local France
What to expect for Easter weekend weather in France
It's possible you might have to schedule your Easter egg hunt indoors this year, as France looks ahead to a holiday weekend of unpredictable weather, with showers, storms and some bits of sun. READ MORE: Shops, tourist sites, travel: What's open and closed in France over Easter Here is what to expect in terms of weather for Easter weekend in France; Thursday and Friday In the middle of the week Storm Hans swept into south-east France from Italy, bringing warnings of strong winds and a month's worth of rain – turning to heavy snow at higher altitudes – from Wednesday into Thursday along the eastern edge of the country, particularly in Alpine regions and Corsica. 'Remarkable avalanche activity' was also predicted in the Haute-Maurienne and Haute-Tarentaise mountain ranges, forecasters said. Advertisement After Hans has finished passing through France on Friday, forecasters expect there to be some respite for residents in the south-east of the country, as Spring sunshine briefly returns. As for people in western France, a new low pressure system is due to arrive on Friday, bringing more wind, rain and thunderstorms – particularly in the southwest, before sweeping up to the Paris region. READ MORE: The best Easter activities in France for families Saturday Friday's weather front ought to stretch from northwest France to the Mediterranean on Saturday, bringing, according to national forecaster Météo France: 'a strong southerly wind in the lower Rhône Valley, heavy rain around the Cévennes and occasional thunderstorms between the south-west and the Massif Central.' North-eastern areas are expected to get the best of the weather, with some sunny spells and mild temperatures to go with their extra public holiday . In the north, temperatures are forecast to range from 5C to 12C in the morning, while those living in the south can expect to see between 6C and 15C – rising to afternoon maximums of around 19C in Lyon, 15C in Rennes, Nantes, Amiens, and Perpignan, 18C in Paris, Strasbourg, and Marseille, and up to 20C in Ajaccio. Sunday Unstable conditions may continue into Sunday and Monday, with further rain forecast to reach France from the Atlantic, and strong winds expected. Advertisement Rain is again forecast in the southern half of France, with the possibility of thunderstorms in the south-east, particularly Corsica, La Chaîne Météo told BFMTV . As for northern France, forecasters have predicted clouds and occasional sunny spells. Météo France forecasts maximum temperatures of 14C in Paris, Bordeaux, and Biarritz, 13C in Brest, Rennes, and La Rochelle, and up to 17C in Marseille. READ MORE: MAPS: Where will traffic be heaviest in France this Easter weekend? Monday As for Easter Monday: 'The risk of showers or rain will mainly affect the southwest and the east coast, extending to the Mediterranean,' La Chaîne Météo said, adding, 'there could be some nice sunny spells in the northern half of the country.' The mercury is expected to rise up to 19C in the south, particularly in Perpignan, and 18C in Ajaccio and Marseille, and 16C in Rouen, Paris, and Strasbourg.
