Calm and chilly in north, rainy in south: French weekend weather outlook March 1 - 2
The start of spring sees temperatures lower than seasonal averages
The sun may be shining but temperatures will be chilly across much of France with morning frosts likely
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Roles will be reversed in France this weekend, with a peaceful – if chilly – north and rain in much of the south.
Cloud and rain coverage in the south-east on Saturday will spread across the rest of the south on Sunday.
Temperatures will be cooler than seasonal averages throughout the weekend, although are set to rise significantly next week.
Friday February 28
February will end calmly, with skies free from rain except for showery patches in the far north around Lille.
It will be mostly cloudy in the east, but the west, centre and Normandy are likely to see their fair share of sunshine between cloud coverage, getting sunnier as the day goes on.
Skies in the Mediterranean will be mostly cloudy throughout the day.
Chilly morning temperatures – below 0C in some areas - will make way for highs of between 6C and 10C in the north. In the south, these will rise to 15C along the Mediterranean.
Saturday March 1
The start of meteorological spring will see conditions remain calm, although rain is expected in the south-east.
A Mediterranean storm may see rain in Corsica and the mainland coast around Nice and Marseille.
Conditions will be calm and sunny almost everywhere, with cloud coverage from the previous week dissipating in light of an Atlantic anticyclone wind.
The wind will not raise temperatures however, which are set to remain cool – especially in the northern half of the country.
Morning temperatures of -3C will be replaced by averages of around 6C.
This will rise slightly in the west, up to 11C in Brittany and 12C in the south-west.
Despite the potential for rain and clouds, Nice will be the warmest area of France with temperatures of around 14C.
Large and impressive waves are expected in the west of France, however they pose no additional risk of coastal flooding according to forecasters.
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Sunday March 2
Conditions in the north will be similar to on Saturday, although a clear night will lead to frost in many areas and a chilly start to the day.
This chill will continue, with temperatures around 1C/2C lower than seasonal norms, and it may feel colder than the thermometer states due to cool winds across the north.
Clouds present in the south-east on Saturday will move westwards, covering the area roughly south of Bordeaux/Lyon.
Incoming perturbations from the Mediterranean are set to bring sporadic rainfall across the south.
This may turn to snow at higher altitudes in the mountains, although significant snowfall is not expected.
A rise in temperatures is forecast for next week, which could see parts of the south-west close to 20C and temperatures in Normandy higher than those in Nice.
