France hit by big chill as snow and ice warnings extended across country
Much of the northern half of France from Brittany in the west to Alsace in the east was on alert for snow and winter conditions on Tuesday as an icy spell saw temperatures plummet.
Temperatures across the north of the country plunged over the weekend, but French weather forecaster Météo France said things will get even chillier in the coming days.
By Tuesday evening 36 départements were placed on orange alert (the second highest level) on Tuesday, as weather agency Météo France warned of exceptional volumes of snow, icy roads and intense cold that required vulnerable people to take precautions.
? 36 dpts en #vigilanceOrange
Restez informes sur https://t.co/CSYEovTI83 pic.twitter.com/3pdkDN9quA
— VigiMétéoFrance (@VigiMeteoFrance) February 9, 2021
The départments on alert are: Finistère, Morbihan, Côtes-d'Armor, Ille-et-Vilaine, Mayenne, Sarthe, Loir-et-Cher, Loiret, Yonne, Côte-d'Or, Doubs, Territoire de Belfort, Haut-Rhin, Bas-Rhin, Vosges, Haute-Soâne, Aube, Seine-et-Marne, Orne, Calvados, Manche, Essonne, Yvelines, Paris, Val-d'Oise, Eure, Haut-Marne, Ain, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne, Hauts-de-Seine, Somme, Pas-de-Calais, Nord and Aisne.
On Tuesday heavy snow fell in parts of Brittany as the video below in Saint Brieuc on the north coast demonstrates.
❄️#Neige sur quais du port du Légué à #saintbrieuc.
?️@MoisonFBA#Bretagne pic.twitter.com/3nIQ7bGhP0
— Météo-France (@meteofrance) February 9, 2021
The tweet below shows the snowy beaches in Dinard.
❄ L'épisode neigeux se renforce sur le nord de la #Bretagne où la #neige blanchit les plages de #Dinard. Il va neiger fortement toute la soirée. (via @viewsurf) pic.twitter.com/h8qcbWfVZC
— Guillaume Séchet (@Meteovilles) February 9, 2021
Earlier on Tuesday the interior ministry asked people in the areas of concern to avoid travel, and stay up to date with conditions and forecasts locally.
? 28 dpts sont placés en #VigilanceOrange :
?️#Neige en Bretagne, gagnant vers l'Est.
❄️#GrandFroid en Nord/Pas-de-Calais.
?️#Crues importantes en cours dans de nombreux secteurs.
Limitez vos déplacements et soyez vigilants⬇️https://t.co/l9FJGPgqdu https://t.co/VQC7uKCAB0 pic.twitter.com/Ofcw3eO1Bm
— Ministère de l'Intérieur (@Interieur_Gouv) February 9, 2021
On Wednesday temperatures in Paris are set to fall to -5C, while the Hauts-de-France region will be -10C.
"This week promises to be very cold from the Belgian borders via the Paris Basin to Brittany," said the forecaster.
❄️ Demain, #neige sur la #Bretagne. Une couche de 5/10cm, loc. 15 cm, devrait recouvrir l'ensemble des déps. bretons (moins vers littoral). Épisode s'annonçant comme un des plus marquants de ce début de XXIè siècle, notamment en termes d'étendues touchées par neige en Bretagne.⬇️ pic.twitter.com/8ta82054za
— Météo-France (@meteofrance) February 8, 2021
There are also set to be significant snowfalls with up to 10cm of snow in Brittany and up to 15cm in Normandy on Tuesday, with snow also expected in the greater Paris Île-de-France region.
Météo France said it will remain very cold all week.
Meanwhile in the south of country, it will be warmer but more rain is forecast, set to worsen the flooding that parts of southern France saw last week.
Only one département in the south remains on orange alert for floods though - Charente Maritime.
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Temperatures across the north of the country plunged over the weekend, but French weather forecaster Météo France said things will get even chillier in the coming days.
? 36 dpts en #vigilanceOrange
— VigiMétéoFrance (@VigiMeteoFrance) February 9, 2021
Restez informes sur https://t.co/CSYEovTI83 pic.twitter.com/3pdkDN9quA
❄️#Neige sur quais du port du Légué à #saintbrieuc.
— Météo-France (@meteofrance) February 9, 2021
?️@MoisonFBA#Bretagne pic.twitter.com/3nIQ7bGhP0
❄ L'épisode neigeux se renforce sur le nord de la #Bretagne où la #neige blanchit les plages de #Dinard. Il va neiger fortement toute la soirée. (via @viewsurf) pic.twitter.com/h8qcbWfVZC
— Guillaume Séchet (@Meteovilles) February 9, 2021
Earlier on Tuesday the interior ministry asked people in the areas of concern to avoid travel, and stay up to date with conditions and forecasts locally.
? 28 dpts sont placés en #VigilanceOrange :
— Ministère de l'Intérieur (@Interieur_Gouv) February 9, 2021
?️#Neige en Bretagne, gagnant vers l'Est.
❄️#GrandFroid en Nord/Pas-de-Calais.
?️#Crues importantes en cours dans de nombreux secteurs.
Limitez vos déplacements et soyez vigilants⬇️https://t.co/l9FJGPgqdu https://t.co/VQC7uKCAB0 pic.twitter.com/Ofcw3eO1Bm
On Wednesday temperatures in Paris are set to fall to -5C, while the Hauts-de-France region will be -10C.
"This week promises to be very cold from the Belgian borders via the Paris Basin to Brittany," said the forecaster.
❄️ Demain, #neige sur la #Bretagne. Une couche de 5/10cm, loc. 15 cm, devrait recouvrir l'ensemble des déps. bretons (moins vers littoral). Épisode s'annonçant comme un des plus marquants de ce début de XXIè siècle, notamment en termes d'étendues touchées par neige en Bretagne.⬇️ pic.twitter.com/8ta82054za
— Météo-France (@meteofrance) February 8, 2021
There are also set to be significant snowfalls with up to 10cm of snow in Brittany and up to 15cm in Normandy on Tuesday, with snow also expected in the greater Paris Île-de-France region.
Météo France said it will remain very cold all week.
Meanwhile in the south of country, it will be warmer but more rain is forecast, set to worsen the flooding that parts of southern France saw last week.
Only one département in the south remains on orange alert for floods though - Charente Maritime.
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