France braced for an icy blast with frost and snow forecast for weekend
France is braced for an icy blast over the weekend as a polar vortex brings rain, frost and snow in some parts of the north of the country.
Temperatures are forecast to dip sharply on Friday evening with temperatures more usually seen in March than May, said French weather forecaster La Chaine Meteo.
Rain is forecast overnight into Saturday, but northern areas including the Aisne, the Somme, the Oise and the Nord could also see some snow.
Snow is forecast in several parts of the country overnight on Sunday. Image Météo France
Snow showers are also forecast in the Ardennes and at low altitude, from 600 metres, over the Vosges and the northern Alps.
The snow is not expected to lie, but temperatures are not expected to rise about 10C in northern France.
In the south, temperatures will be much milder, between 12C and 20C.
Les températures pour le premier weekend du mois de mai auront des allures de début mars. ??️? pic.twitter.com/bsFurywC5W
— La Chaîne Météo (@lachainemeteo) 2 May 2019
However strong winds are forecast for Sunday, with gusts of up to 90 to 100 km/h in the Rhône Valley.
In bad new for farmers, there are also expected to be some ground frosts until temperatures start to climb again from Monday.
French vocab
Arctic vortex - descente d’air polaire arctique
Snow - la neige
Frost - le gel
Weather warning - un avertissement météo
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Temperatures are forecast to dip sharply on Friday evening with temperatures more usually seen in March than May, said French weather forecaster La Chaine Meteo.
Rain is forecast overnight into Saturday, but northern areas including the Aisne, the Somme, the Oise and the Nord could also see some snow.
Snow is forecast in several parts of the country overnight on Sunday. Image Météo France
Snow showers are also forecast in the Ardennes and at low altitude, from 600 metres, over the Vosges and the northern Alps.
The snow is not expected to lie, but temperatures are not expected to rise about 10C in northern France.
In the south, temperatures will be much milder, between 12C and 20C.
Les températures pour le premier weekend du mois de mai auront des allures de début mars. ??️? pic.twitter.com/bsFurywC5W
— La Chaîne Météo (@lachainemeteo) 2 May 2019
However strong winds are forecast for Sunday, with gusts of up to 90 to 100 km/h in the Rhône Valley.
In bad new for farmers, there are also expected to be some ground frosts until temperatures start to climb again from Monday.
French vocab
Arctic vortex - descente d’air polaire arctique
Snow - la neige
Frost - le gel
Weather warning - un avertissement météo
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