Western France braces for gusty winds and rainy spells this weekend

By Courtney Spamer, Meteorologist

January 1,2016; 9:02PM,EST

 

 

The first weekend of 2016 will be a wet one across France, with gusty winds and heavy rain from the Atlantic coast to as far east as Paris and Toulouse.
Showery weather will persist across much of France through Saturday, before a steadier rain is expected for many areas Sunday.

Total rainfall throughout the weekend in western France will range from 25-50 mm (1.00-2.00 inches), with the bulk of the rain coming on Sunday. For Paris, the steadier rain will arrive during the afternoon, with rainfall totals below 25 mm (1.00 inch).
Farther east, including Nancy to Lyon, the showery weather on Saturday will continue into Sunday. In these areas, rainfall will be around 5-25 mm (0.20-1.00 inch).
AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys warned that "winds this weekend could gust as high as 80 km/h (50 mph) along the western coasts of France."
"In addition to isolated tree damage from Brest to La Rochelle, the gusting winds could create minor to moderate coastal flooding, especially during high tide," Roys said.
Rain and wind will move through eastern France on Sunday night.
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A storm will track across southern France early next week, bringing additional periods of rain.
Farther north, showery weather will prevail Monday into Wednesday. A more potent storm system may bring downpours and locally damaging winds on Thursday.
Content contributed by Meteorologist Eric Leister.