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WEATHER

Weather forecasters predict white Christmas for these areas of France

Those hoping for a white Christmas could be in for a last-minute pleasant surprise, as the French national weather agency Météo France predicts colder temperatures from Wednesday and snowfall in several parts of the country over the holidays.

Published: 23 December 2020 13:27 CET
Weather forecasters predict white Christmas for these areas of France
Snow is coming Thursday, predict French weather forecasters. Photo: AFP

This November was the second warmest ever registered in Europe, according to the European weather service Copernicus, and December so far in France has so far been mostly mild and wet.

 
 

But on Thursday, December 24th, “the snow is making a comeback,” according to Météo France,  although the first round of snowfall will be over mountainous such as the Alps, Jura, Pyrenees and Vosges.

 

In the coming days, temperatures across France will plunge. Starting from the north west and spreading towards the south east, the entire country will lose between 3C and 6C on December 24th, according to Météio France.
 
The biggest drop will be in the south west, where the weather agency said some areas will lose between 8C and 10C overnight.
 
On Saturday the south of France will get colder too.
 
 
Who gets snow for Christmas?
 
Météo France has predicted snowfalls over the the east of France on December 24th and 25th, notably in the regions Grand Est, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

 
However mountainous areas will get the heaviest snowfall, the agency wrote in a separate note. The last week of December will likely be cold and sunny, which means ideal skiing conditions in these areas. While ski resorts have been allowed to reopen, ski lifts remain closed until at least January 7th, depending on the health situation.
 
 
How much of France usually gets snow?
 
It really depends on the year, but over the course of the last decade snow has been largely reserved France's mountainous areas. The interactive map below shows which ares have got at least 5mm of snow from 1979 until 2019.

 

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WEATHER

South west France on red alert for flooding

Five areas in south west France have been placed on a red weather alert for flooding as storms lash the region.

Published: 10 January 2022 11:21 CET
South west France on red alert for flooding
Storms are moving in to south west France over the Pyrenees. Photo: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP

Météo France has placed five départements in south west France – Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes, Hautes-Pyrénées, Haute-Garonne and Ariège – on a red weather alert for heavy rains and flooding.

Extremely heavy rainstorms have hit the area, with a band of storm clouds travelling along the Pyrenees, bringing the risk of avalanches in the mountains and flooding in lowland areas.

The neighbouring département of Pyrénées-Orientale is on orange alert, along with the principality of Andorra. In the north, Aisne is also on orange alert for heavy rain.

Heavy rain is expected to continue throughout Monday, gradually easing off towards the evening, although the flood alerts remain in place until Tuesday. 

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