Temperatures of 26C recorded overnight in south-west France
Measurement sets new high for November and comes only days after snow covered parts of the country
Temperatures rose by 20C over the weekend
sun ok/Shutterstock
Parts of France are experiencing record-breaking temperatures only days after a fierce storm battered the country and caused up to 10cm of snow in some areas.
Temperatures between Friday (November 22) and today (November 25) have risen by 20C in the south-west.
At 05:00 this morning, temperatures of 26.3C were recorded in Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) and 26.5C in the surrounding countryside by state forecaster Météo France.
In comparison highs of around 6C were felt last week as snow was falling along the mountain chain only a few hundred metres higher.
The extreme swing in temperature means the previous November high of 17C for the area measured in 1983 has been exceeded.
What has caused the shift?
Pau and lower-lying areas of the south-west did not experience snow during Storm Caetano, however still saw lower than average temperatures.
Read more: Photos as snow falls – and settles – across France
The temperature increase is not only limited to the south-west however.
Areas that did see snow have seen temperatures increase by over 10C since Friday, including Paris, Strasbourg, and Auxerre.
Thermometers reached up to 16C this morning in the capital (although this has not broken the November temperature record of over 21C).
There are several reasons for the rapid shift.
The first is that Storm Caetano significantly dropped temperatures below November averages – by up to 5C in some places – with its fierce winds, meaning even a return to normal temperatures would feel warm in comparison to last week.
In addition there is another storm (dubbed Bert) currently traversing the British Isles, which has pushed a burst of warm air into France whilst avoiding the country, pushing temperatures above normal levels.
Specifically in the south-west, the ‘Foehn effect’ has also contributed to the change. This occurs when warm air comes into contact with a mountainside, rapidly raising temperatures at lower altitudes.
Read more: What is the Foehn effect and how does it affect France?
Will the warm spell remain?
Temperatures this week will be warmer than average but are set to get colder as the week progresses.
They will temporarily drop below seasonal norms over the weekend, before rising once again at the start of December.
Warm temperatures are still forecast in the south, particularly the far south-east and south-west, reaching up to 20C in both areas.
Record-breaking highs are unlikely to be reached again, as the winds move away from France.
Read more: Heavy rain and strong winds: French weather outlook November 24 to 29
