From early winter to early spring. Météo France announced a dramatic spike in temperatures in France this weekend, while warning of strong gusts of wind expected in the north of the country.
“After a still cold Saturday morning with frequent frosts that this time reach the southwest, locally strong, during the day there will be a strong wave of mild temperatures with a strong increase in temperatures driven by a southwesterly current, with a disturbance that will marginally affect the coasts of the Channel”announced Météo France.
An increase in temperatures is expected from Saturday and should continue on Sunday with “Notable softness and maximum temperatures can approach 20°C in the north, 25°C in the Basque Country”.
This spectacular mild gust occurs after the passage of the Caetano storm that severely affected part of the country. Some 47,000 homes remained without electricity on Saturday morning, mainly in Normandy and the Pays de la Loire. On Friday night it was around 75,000. The manager of the electrical network Enedis recalled having mobilized 2,200 of its technicians and 400 service providers in advance, specifying that they were them. “They have been mobilized for repairs since the safety conditions for traveling have been met”after this first snow episode of the season, during which winds of up to 130 km/h blew.
Although the orange alert was lifted on Friday, several departments remain on yellow alert for snow and ice, but also for gusts of wind. As soon as Caetano had left, the maritime prefecture of Cherbourg warned of the arrival of the Bert depression, which could explode “on the facade of the North Sea Canal” until noon on Saturday, with winds of force 7 to 8 (50 to 70 km/h) and “strong gusts”.
On Friday, Météo France explained that the storm Caetano had “It caused a first winter episode, early in the season, with violent winds and snow”. “Under the influence of a descent of polar air, temperatures fell to levels worthy of a month of January”the organization specified at noon.
