Temperature drop: French weekend weather outlook September 28 - 29

A period of calm should settle over most of France this weekend, giving respite from storm Aitor. Cooler weather is forecast.

More storms are predicted then for the beginning of next week. 

Friday September 27 

Stormy weather continues to sit over the north and west of the country due to storm Aitor, bringing dark clouds and rain. 

Morning storms in central France bring the risk of hail around Bourges (Cher), and in the afternoon, a new Atlantic storm will hit the south-west and Pyrénées before quickly dispersing. 

In Brittany and Normandy, skies will alternate between sun and clouds, with heavy rain falling spontaneously but briefly.

In the south, the Mediterranean remains untouched by storm and rain, with temperatures reaching up to 27C around Nice. 

The storms will mostly peter out by the late evening, but remnants will remain near the Belgian border and on parts of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. 

In most places, only tier-two yellow weather alerts are in place, however a heightened warning over river flooding has been raised in the Seine-et-Marne department and is expected to remain for several days. 

Around 80 mm of rain fell in parts of the department in 24 hours during storm Aitor’s passage – the monthly average. 

Read more: Storms in France: what to do if at home, out walking or in car

Saturday September 28 

Storms will have disappeared by Saturday morning, ushering in a weekend clear of rainfall.

River flooding warnings will remain in some departments due to the influx of rain over the previous days, but with no further rainfall forecast in these areas, river levels should begin returning to normal.

However, a temperature drop will accompany the calm as polar winds descend from the UK and Scandinavia into France. 

Morning temperatures will range between 3C and 12C (from north to south), rising to 13C and 20C in the afternoon. 

This is around 5C colder than usual for the season, and in some northern areas, will be 7C colder than seasonal averages. 

In the south, strong winds will cover the Mediterranean coastline and push into the Massif Central, bringing a chilly feel to an otherwise sunny day. 

In the south-west, Brittany, Normandy, and the north, the weather will be dry, with little humidity in the air, although you will likely need to wrap up warm. 

Sunday September 29 

Conditions will be largely similar to Sunday, with clear skies and no rain, with the exception of coastal Brittany. 

Temperatures will rise slightly, with highs of 23C in the south, as an Azorean anticyclone temporarily pushes away the polar winds from Saturday.

The morning will remain chilly – in some areas of the north and north-east, morning temperatures will be at 2C – but clear skies will bring temperatures up, particularly along the Norman coast and the south-west/Pyrénées foothills (15C and 22C).

In central areas, skies will be foggy in the morning before becoming clear in the afternoon, and the strong winds along the Mediterranean will die down. 

The start of next week will see another bout of Atlantic storms hit France, covering almost all of the country except the Mediterranean.