French weekly weather forecast March 30 - April 3: chilly with rain for most areas

Chilly temperatures, cloud coverage, and rainfall are forecast for the week ahead in France. 

A northwesterly wind will dominate, bringing the conditions to all but the south-east.

In addition, France remains caught between low-pressure winds from Scandinavia and high-pressure systems over the Atlantic, which collide and trigger unsettled conditions.

Morning frosts will persist across several areas, particularly the centre and east.

Monday March 30 

A band of rain stretching from Lille to Toulouse will usher in the week, gradually drifting east toward the German border and Lyon.

Only Brittany and the eastern Mediterranean are guaranteed to stay fully dry, although strong Mistral and Tramontane winds of up to 90km/h will affect the south. 

A slight sprinkling of morning snow is possible in the Massif Central, but will not settle. 

Highs of 7C in the east, 10C - 13C in the north, 15C in the south and 16C along the Riviera remain below average for the season. 

Some locations such as Toulouse (10C) and Aurillac (6C) are considerably cooler. 

Tuesday March 31 

The heaviest rainfall will pass overnight, however showers will persist across the north and particularly near the Belgian border. 

Thick clouds will cover the west although they will not bring rain. Only the south-east will see sun for a prolonged period. 

Morning frosts will be limited, however, as cloud cover and overnight winds prevent the conditions needed. 

Highs of 8C in the east, 11C - 13C across north and south-west France, and up to 17C along the Mediterranean are forecast. 

While this sees highs slightly above average for Brittany and Nice, in the east and centre it is around 6C cooler than usual. 

Wednesday April 1 

Weather forecasts of continuing mixed conditions are not a poisson d’Avril joke, with a continuation of showers and chilly temperatures. 

Persistent showers in central and northern areas are expected, with sustained and sometimes heavy rain in the Pyrénées. Snow is possible at 1,400m and above along the mountain range. 

The east will remain sunny however, and temperatures remain largely unchanged from Tuesday. 

The Mistral and Tramontane winds will still blow, but at around 60km/h - 80km/h will be considerably weaker than at the start of the week. 

Thursday April 2

Patches of rain will linger across the Pyrénées and northern France, while elsewhere thick cloud will blanket most of the country, leaving only the Riviera in clear skies.

Temperatures will increase slightly – 12C - 14C across most of the country, rising to 16C - 18C along the Mediterranean, despite the cloudy skies. 

Friday April 3 

An Atlantic weather system bringing rain will sweep in from the north-west, quickly covering France overnight from Brittany and Normandy to the Pyrénées and Lyon. 

Persistent showers will last into the afternoon, but by the evening will be limited to the English Channel. Temperatures will remain stable. 

Early forecasts for the weekend however see a sudden jump in temperatures on Saturday, bringing them nationally above average for the first time in well over a week. 

Rain will be limited to the English Channel, pointing towards a calm and sunny weekend for anyone looking to spend Easter Sunday (or the Monday public holiday) outside.