Temperatures of -33.9C were measured in Jura on Saturday as France recorded some of its coldest temperatures ever. The cold spell led authorities in Paris to cut speed limits by 20km/h under level two of its 鈥榗old and ice plan鈥�.
The exceptionally low temperature of -33.9C was recorded in the early hours in an uninhabited area in the commune of Mignovillard, Jura - the 鈥渃oldest part of France鈥� according to state weather service M茅t茅o France.
The exceptional chill in the commune is due in part to a local phenomenon of the Jura mountains known as a 鈥渃old hole鈥�.
While the phenomenon was particularly severe on January 4, meteorologist Serge Zaka explained on X that it occurs every year.
鈥淐old air is denser than warm air. On windless nights, it accumulates in the 鈥榟oles鈥� on the Jura plateaux. This means that, very locally, it can be 20C colder in the hole than on the plateau鈥�, said Mr Zaka.
Zoom sur le Jura ce matin o霉 les temp茅ratures ont atteint : -31.1 脿 La Br茅vine (fronti猫re Suisse) -28.1掳C 脿 la combe de Reculoz -27.4掳C au village de La Chaux -25.7掳C aux Pontets -23.9掳C 脿 La Chapelle des Bois -21.5掳C 脿 Maiche >Carte comprenant le r茅seau StatIC
— Guillaume S茅chet (@Meteovilles)
A total of 30 departments were on high (orange) alert due to the cold on Saturday morning, largely due to the danger of icy roads.
In Paris, the police announced the raising of the 鈥榗old and ice plan鈥� from level one to level two - resulting in a reduction of the speed limit by 20km/h on major roads with the exception of the p茅riph茅rique ring road.
The exceptional measure lasted between 17:00 and midnight on January 5.
馃煚 鉂勶笍 | Activation du Plan Neige et Verglas en 脦le-de-France en niveau 2.
Compte tenu des pr茅cipitations annonc茅es dans la soir茅e, le pr茅fet de Police, pr茅fet de la Zone de d茅fense et de s茅curit茅 de Paris, appelle les usagers de la route 脿 la vigilance et renforce鈥�
鈥� Pr茅fecture de Police (@prefpolice)
Alerts continue
The areas in yellow on the map indicate low-level alerts where M茅t茅o France advises caution due to potentially dangerous weatherM茅t茅o France
Despite the arrival of a warm air front and southerly gales, many departments remain on alert.
However, the alerts are no longer for cold but due to the strength of the gales, which could reach over 100km/h in some areas.
"With the approach of a disturbance off the Atlantic coast, the wind is set to strengthen over the country during Sunday", says M茅t茅o France.
"The southerly wind will become particularly strong from Sunday evening to early afternoon on Monday in the Rh么nes-Alpes region, particularly in the south of the affected departments."
