Temperatures to drop as rain returns: French weekend weather outlook April 12 - 13

Significant rainfall will affect much of France this weekend and many also face the risk of storms. 

Temperatures will drop by around 5C between Saturday and Sunday, as the warm spell in place since the start of April comes to an abrupt end. 

Friday April 11 

Friday is set to remain dry and calm despite some morning fog in the north of France. 

Dark grey clouds will be present along the Mediterranean and Rhône Valley – alongside lighter clouds in the south-west – but rain is not expected.

By the afternoon, up to 90% of France will see sunny skies. 

Temperatures will remain high, reaching up to 25C in Bordeaux and the south-west. 

Elsewhere, temperatures will range between 15C and 20C, although they may reach 22C near the German border. 

Saturday April 12 

Exact conditions for Saturday are still somewhat unclear with several regions expected to face different patterns. 

Storms in Spain and the Atlantic ocean will reach Brittany and the western coast before hitting the south-west hard late in the evening. 

Rainfall will push east into central and northern France by the end of the day. 

Before this however, the north will experience another day of calm and pleasant weather and is likely to be the sunniest area of France throughout the weekend. 

Despite the rain, temperatures will peak with highs of 23C in the south-west, including surprisingly in Lille and along the Belgian border. 

Central and eastern areas will also see highs of 22C/23C, and in Brittany, it may reach 18C despite the rainy weather. 

The south-east will be threatened with cloudy skies – little to no rain is forecast – but should still reach 17C. 

Sunday April 13 

Forecasters are more confident about Sunday’s predictions and expect storms to sweep across most of the country. 

Stormy weather will cover France from the south-west to the north-east, bringing a fair amount of rainfall throughout. 

Heavy rain is forecast in the east, from Strasbourg down to Nice, with the south-east also facing a risk of storms and choppy (for the usually tranquil Mediterranean) waves. 

In the north and north-west, showers are likely in Brittany and along the Normandy coast but unlikely to penetrate inland. 

Cloudy skies will however dominate, bringing an end to the previous sunshine. 

Drivers have been warned to take caution over potential ‘summer black ice’ on the roads. 

Fairly strong winds and the rain will combine to see temperatures drop by around 5C compared to Saturday. 

This will be felt mostly in the north, centre, east and south-west. 

Elsewhere, areas experiencing cloudy conditions – such as the south-east – are unlikely to see any real change in temperatures.

Early forecasts for next week see rain covering France, particularly from Tuesday - Thursday.