Temperatures of 22C and rain: French weekend weather outlook February 22 - 23

A burst of warm weather will cover the majority of France this weekend, although skies will be cloudy and there will be rain on Saturday. 

Temperatures in the south-west may reach above 22C, far warmer than the national average for the end of February, and will remain above 10C across France all weekend.

Friday February 21 

Friday sees a mild start to the weekend for many, with rain only expected in Brittany and the western coast throughout the day.

Elsewhere, skies will be mostly cloudy but clear of rain with some sunshine possible in the east. 

Rainfall in Brittany will move east overnight, affecting Normandy and reaching the Belgian border. The south-east will likely see rain in the evening.

Temperatures will reach 15C almost everywhere except the Breton – and surprisingly Mediterranean – coasts and parts of the Massif Central mountain range where highs of 12C/13C are more likely. 

The south-west will be warmest, recording temperatures of 18C in Bordeaux and up to 20C in Pau and Bayonne - and it will remain up to 18C late into the evening.

Saturday February 22 

The start of the weekend will be gloomy for most, with rain and clouds covering the west, centre, and north of France. 

The rain will not be particularly strong but constant drizzle is expected. 

As the day progresses these clouds will move eastwards, hitting Champagne and Burgundy. 

A separate bout of rainfall will also be heavier in the Cévennes mountains, but no warnings have been given over excess downpours. Up to 100mm of rain may fall in the area between Friday afternoon and Sunday night.

Brittany and the south-west will see sunnier skies than elsewhere on Saturday but this will still be interspersed with rain. 

Snow will return to the Pyrénées at altitudes of 1,600m and above.

Temperatures will drop by around 2C/3C across the board from Friday, with highs of 18C in the south-west, and between 12C - 14C in the northern half of the country. 

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Sunday February 23 

Conditions will improve for most on Sunday, except in the south-east where a role reversal will take place. 

Previously avoiding the rain throughout the weekend, it will instead see scattered showers, particularly along the coast. Snow may fall at altitudes of 1,600m in the southern Alps. 

A gust of Atlantic wind from the Azores is expected to whisk away the majority of Saturday’s clouds, especially in the south-west, centre and east of France. 

Brittany and Normandy will see partially clear skies, however stormy weather will appear later in the evening, bringing rain and winds that will continue overnight. 

Temperatures will remain the same as on Saturday and considerably above seasonal norms. 

The national average temperature will reach 11.8C, the highest seen since late November last year.