Why it is going to get much warmer in France this week
Temperatures will be above the seasonal average and could reach 22C in some places
Temperatures may feel spring-like in many parts of France by the end of the week
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Temperatures in France are set to feel almost spring-like by this weekend, as the mercury is set to rise after a chilly start to the week, forecasters predict.
From Tuesday, February 18, temperatures are set to increase, before reaching seasonally exceptional levels by the end of the week, stated forecaster Météo France in a recent bulletin.
“Mild weather should also set in over most regions between Wednesday and Friday,” it said.
The higher temperatures are partly due to a growing “southern influence” across the country, said Yann Amice, meteorologist for WeatherNCo, speaking to Ouest France.
By the afternoon of Friday, February 21, temperatures are expected to reach:
These temperatures are ‘exceptional’, states Météo Villes, and almost 10 degrees higher than those recorded at the weekend (Sunday, February 16).
They are also between 3-10C higher than the seasonal average for this time of year, which is calculated based on average temperatures for the period 1991 to 2020.
Why are temperatures set to rise?
The expected change in temperature is largely due to air mass coming from the south.
The country will experience “a gradual shift” from a “traditionally cool northerly wind…to “a dominant southerly wind”, which is much warmer, said Mr Amice.
In addition, the south-west will see what meteorologists call a ‘Foehn effect’. This phenomenon makes air mass drier when it crosses a mountain range, which “promotes a natural rise in temperatures”, Mr Amice added.
Because the air mass in this case is set to come from the south, the Basque Country and the foothills of the Pyrenees will most notably experience this effect, with temperatures of over 20C expected in those regions on Friday afternoon.
In contrast, in the west of the country, the flow will be influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, which will bring some “cloudy spells with precipitation”, as well as slightly higher temperatures than the cooler ones seen more recently.
