Storms on way for much of France. Will the cold spell continue?

France is bracing for another week of unstable weather, with the south in particular facing heavy rain and storms. 

The weekend saw the start of a fierce cévenol storm in the south – caused by warm air masses hitting the Massif Central mountains – and leading to intense rain. 

More than 200mm of rain fell in some parts of the Cévennes over the weekend, and the stormy weather is set to remain until at least Wednesday (May 1) evening, including further rainfall.

Elsewhere, flooding was seen in south-west and parts of the east, alongside hailstorms. 

In south-west, around 20,000 homes had their electricity cut due to storms.

In the east, highs of 25C are expected in Alsace on Tuesday (April 30) as the humid weather brings storms to the area.

This peak is set to drop into single figures by Thursday (May 2) with the thermometer only predicted to reach 8C in the area as storms bring temperatures down.

In general, temperatures are returning to April/May averages, however at the end of the week it may still be chilly in the morning due to the persistence of cold northern winds.

On Sunday (May 5) most of the country will see temperatures of 20C or more, except Brittany and the south-east.

Read more: Why are temperatures yo-yoing in France?

Another weekend of rain and storms?

Alongside a persisting cévenol storm, which will also affect parts of the Mediterranean coastline, showers are expected across the central and north-eastern parts of the country at the start of the week. 

The usual events and marches of May 1 may be scuppered, with rain set to fall almost everywhere except in Alsace, which will experience some small respite during the day.

Storms will begin to return to the area by the evening, however, and on Thursday (May 2) a second storm will push into Pyrénées from across the Spanish border.

These will both last until Friday.

In the latter half of the week, rain is forecast across almost all of France lasting until at least Sunday despite the rising temperatures, with only the south-east set to remain dry.

Currently, around 20 departments are facing tier-two yellow weather warnings for a mixture of avalanches, heavy rain/flash floods, and river flooding. 

Tomorrow will see a number of departments facing storm warnings as well.

Read more: What action is advised with different Météo France weather warnings

As the week progresses, there is a chance these warnings may increase in intensity. You can keep up to date with all official weather information via the Météo France website.

Intense weather last weekend

The storms and heavy rain will be a repeat of the weather seen last weekend, which led to dramatic images across France.

In the south-west, hailstorms hit gardens during the height of the storms.

Along the Atlantic coastline, lightning struck the skies above beaches. 

As far east as the Rhône, heavy rain caused flooding.