No more sunglasses and hats. To wear a head covering this week, the beanie will be more appropriate. Starting this Wednesday, Lyon and the whole of France should experience a cold snap across the country. “Polar air is plunging towards France. Something we haven’t seen so early in a few years,” announces The Weather Channel. So, is this descent of polar air really unprecedented? Answer with Pierre Poncet, forecaster at Météo-France in Lyon-Bron.
What will the weather be like this week in Lyon and the rest of France?
If this Tuesday, the weather was good with sunshine and seasonal temperatures in the city, it deteriorated during the night. This Wednesday, rain will fall all afternoon and during part of the evening. “Showers that will calm down from Friday despite the presence of the north wind all weekend”, specifies Pierre Poncet. The trend remains similar throughout France: cold (with temperatures around 10°C Friday morning in Ile de France for example, according to Météo-France), “doubled by showers all day Thursday”, continues the forecaster. Wednesday, it should also be 5°C in Tours or 8°C in Metz. According to Météo-France, this cold wave will still be present Saturday and Sunday morning.
What is causing this sudden drop in temperatures?
“We are witnessing a descent of cold air, coming from the polar air, arriving Tuesday at the end of the day in northern Europe on the British Isles and descending on France, Tuesday evening”, answers Pierre Poncet. According to the latter, this descent of cold air “will shift towards the East, notably in Italy and Switzerland at the end of the week”.
In Lyon, the norm for the season is 24 degrees maximum. Thus, the 16 degrees forecast for this week “are low but not dramatic”, notes our expert who specifies: “what is cold, however, are the 7 degrees forecast for the morning”.
Why is this cold air coming now and how long will it last?
“The cold air we are seeing has no reason to happen now,” concludes Pierre Poncet. “However, it is not exceptional for the season since there has already been snow in August in some years.”
Learn more about weather forecasts
The fact remains that “temperatures will drop on Thursday and stabilize until Sunday over most of the country, except in the West, which is spared thanks to a ridge of warm air,” says Pierre Poncet. Next week, the presence of an anticyclone will cause temperatures to rise. They will be around 24 degrees on some afternoons.