Snow and ice warnings across a third of France
Météo-France has placed dozens of departments on alert for snow, ice and strong winds as winter conditions persist.
Météo-France has placed nearly a third of the country on yellow alert this Friday, warning of snow, ice and strong winds as wintry conditions persist unusually late into March.
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A total of 29 departments are under vigilance, mainly across the north-east for snow and black ice, while southern areas face powerful winds, with mistral and tramontane gusts reaching up to 100 km/h.
Forecasters say temperatures will plunge overnight, with lows dropping to around -6°C in some areas.
Widespread frost is expected from the north-east to parts of Normandy, the Loire Valley and the Massif Central, making roads particularly hazardous early in the morning.
“This will be the coldest morning of the week,” said meteorologist Yann Amice, noting that below-average temperatures are likely to continue until the end of March.
Conditions are set to deteriorate further later in the day, with rain moving in from the north-west and spreading across much of the country into Saturday.
Another weather system will then bring more widespread rainfall over the weekend.
Despite the gradual return of milder conditions expected in early April, snow could still fall at low altitudes in eastern regions through to early next week.