French weekly weather forecast November 24 - 28: New cold snap

Several heightened alerts for rain and flooding issued

Another week of cold and damp weather is forecast
Published Modified

Two periods of rain at the start and end of the week will sandwich another burst of cold, dry weather across much of France. 

However, while temperatures will fall well below average for the season, they will not reach the low levels of last week’s cold snap. 

Snow is forecast again - but only for mountainous areas, as low as around 500m – meaning a repeat of last week’s snowfall across several low-lying areas of France is unlikely.

Monday November 24

Rainfall is expected across the south of France, from the Pyrénées and south-west, through the Massif Central, to the Alps, and lasting throughout much of the day. 

This is set to be particularly heavy, and so far tier-three orange warnings for rain/flash flooding are in place in seven departments – Gironde, Dordogne, Corrèze in the west and Ain, Isère, Savoie and Haute-Savoie in the east. 

The warnings are set to last until midnight. Residents in these departments should be cautious about going outside and using their vehicle

It is advised to keep up to date with further warnings through state forecaster Météo France

Elsewhere, showers across the English Channel, Atlantic coast, north, and east of France are all expected and thunderstorms in Corsica may touch the Riviera. 

Temperatures will be warmer than last week, with highs of around 9C/10C in northern France, 11C in Brittany and up to 14C in the south-west. In Nice, highs of 15C are possible despite potential rain. 

Tuesday November 25 

Rainfall will stop in most areas, apart from the English Channel and parts of the east, as skies clear throughout. 

However, there is a risk of rainfall continuing in the Alps.

Snow is expected in France’s mountain ranges, as low as 500m in the Pyrénées.

In the south particularly, strong Mistral and Tramontane winds will push clouds away to bring sunny skies.

At the same time, temperatures will drop across France, with highs of 7C/9C in the north and 5C in the east. 

In the south-west, highs of around 8C in Toulouse are expected (slightly warmer along the coast at 10C in Bordeaux), but some central areas around Aurillac may see highs of only around 5C. 

Wednesday November 26 

Conditions remain much the same on Wednesday, although temperatures may drop slightly in the north and east. 

The risk of showers remains, running diagonally from the south-west to the east, but, if they come, it will be drizzle rather than heavy downpours.

Morning fog is forecast in central areas, and frost is likely in many areas including the west. 

In the south, the Mistral and Tramontane winds may reach up to 90 km/h.

On average, temperatures in the north and centre will be around 3C below seasonal average. 

Thursday November 27 

Rain will be restricted to the English Channel and Brittany coastlines, although temperatures are expected to drop further north of the Loire.

Maximum temperatures of around 5C to 6C in the north, and 3C in the east will keep the national average temperature low and there is a risk that they remain below freezing all day in some areas.

In the south, however, clear skies will combine with a slight temperature rise, reaching up to 12C in the south-west and even 15C in the south-east. 

However these maximums are unlikely to remain for long, and will drop sharply as evening begins.

In addition, strong winds will make the ‘real’ temperature experienced outside considerably cooler than what thermometers read.

Friday November 28 

Atlantic clouds will sweep across France, bringing rains north of Bordeaux and Lyon. 

Sustained drizzle will last throughout the day – and potentially into the weekend.

However, the damp and humid clouds will increase temperatures, bringing highs of 10C or more to many areas in the north.

In the south, sunny skies are expected but strong winds will again limit how warm it feels and cool mornings mean frost is likely across many regions.