Cold Air Mass to Sweep France, Temperatures to Drop Sharply
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France is about to experience a major weather shift this week, as a new air mass sweeps across the entire country, bringing much colder conditions.
The change will begin with heavy rain on Wednesday. This rain will wash away the last of the summer heat. Forecasters say temperatures could fall by as much as 11 or 12 degrees by Thursday compared with recent days.
The drop in temperature will affect the whole country, which is often called 'l'Hexagone' due to its six-sided shape. No region will be spared from the colder air.
Along with the rain and falling temperatures, snow is also making a comeback this week. Snowflakes are expected in mountain areas, even at medium altitude, which is notable for this time of year.
This sudden change marks a clear end to the warm, summer-like weather that France had been enjoying. The shift brings a much more autumn-like feel, with cooler air, rain, and even snow returning to higher ground.
Weather maps, referred to in French reports as 'cartes', have been used to show how widely this cold air will spread across the country in the coming days.
Vocabulary10 words
- weather shift
- a change from one type of weather to another
- degree
- a unit used to measure temperature
- l'Hexagone
- a nickname for France because of its six-sided shape
- snow
- soft white ice that falls from the sky when it is very cold
- snowflake
- a single small piece of snow
- altitude
- the height of a place above sea level
- forecaster
- a person who predicts future weather
- region
- a specific area of a country
- cartes
- the French word for maps, used here for weather maps
- sweep across
- to move quickly over a large area
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Quiz
Answer key
1. A new air mass 2. 11-12 degrees 3. False
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
France is about to experience a major _____ this week, as a new air mass sweeps across the entire country, bringing much colder conditions.
The change will begin with heavy rain on _____. This rain will wash away the last of the summer heat. Forecasters say temperatures could fall by as much as 11 or 12 _____ by Thursday compared with recent days.
The drop in temperature will affect the whole country, which is often called '_____' due to its six-sided shape. No region will be spared from the colder air.
Along with the rain and falling temperatures, _____ is also making a comeback this week. Snowflakes are expected in mountain areas, even at medium _____, which is notable for this time of year.
This sudden change marks a clear end to the warm, summer-like weather that France had been enjoying.
Weather maps, referred to in French reports as '_____', have been used to show how widely this cold air will spread across the country in the coming days.
Discussion questions
- How does your country experience sudden changes in temperature between seasons?
- Do you check weather forecasts regularly? Why or why not?
- What do you usually do to prepare for a sudden drop in temperature?
- Why might a 10-degree temperature drop be significant for daily life and activities?
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