Could France See a Heatwave in September?
Listen to the story
French weather forecasters are asking an unusual question this September: could a real heatwave still happen?
The month began with a lot of rain across many parts of France, giving people a wet start to autumn.
However, weather experts now say the situation could change quickly.
New forecasts suggest that strong, or even very strong, heat could return later in September.
This kind of late-season warmth is sometimes linked to what people call an 'Indian summer'.
It happens when hot, sunny weather comes back after the usual summer season has ended.
Meteorologists study weather patterns, including air pressure and sunshine, to make these predictions.
They are watching how the atmosphere behaves in the coming days.
If their forecasts are correct, some regions could see much higher temperatures than usual for this time of year.
September temperatures in France are normally milder than in July or August.
But strong sunshine, described as intense heat 'under a blazing sun,' could push temperatures much higher again.
This has led many people to ask whether a full heatwave, and not just a few warm days, could develop.
A heatwave is officially defined as a long period of unusually hot weather.
Weather services will continue to monitor conditions closely over the next few days.
Updated forecasts should give a clearer answer soon about whether France will face another spell of serious heat this September.
Vocabulary7 words
- heatwave
- a long period of very hot weather
- rain
- water falling from the sky
- forecasts
- predictions about future weather
- weather patterns
- the usual ways weather changes over time
- air pressure
- the force of air pushing on the earth
- atmosphere
- the air around the earth
- temperatures
- how hot or cold something is
Quiz
Answer key
1. There was a lot of rain 2. A possible return of strong heat 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
French weather forecasters are asking an unusual question this _____: could a real heatwave still happen?
The month began with a lot of _____ across many parts of France.
However, weather experts now say the situation could change _____.
New forecasts suggest that strong, or even very strong, _____ could return later in September.
This kind of late-season warmth is sometimes linked to an '_____ summer'.
Meteorologists study weather patterns, including air pressure and _____, to make these predictions.
If their forecasts are correct, some regions could see much higher _____ than usual.
September temperatures in France are normally _____ than in July or August.
This has led many people to ask whether a full _____ could develop.
Weather services will continue to _____ conditions closely.