October is drawing to a close, and many will remember it as one of the wettest months in France. As reported by La Chaîne Météo, " over the first 20 days of October, an average of 89 mm of rain fell in 30 reference cities, compared with a normal 53 mm ". In Paris, 124.2 mm of precipitation fell between October 1 and 20, making it the wettest October in 43 years (153.1 mm)!
For the past few days, the weather has been drier. Although it's still grey, with a few sunny spells, the return of bright sunshine is expected by the end of the weekend. In the meantime, motorists in Paris and the Paris region are advised to be vigilant, as Météo France is forecasting the arrival of thick fog on Friday November 1.
Yesterday, Tuesday October 29, fog was already visible in the capital, making the top of the Eiffel Tower disappear. This Wednesday morning, October 30, fog is present in the north of Val-d'Oise, while fog banks are taking hold of Seine-et-Marne. These will dissipate during the day. This phenomenon is expected to persist in the Île-de-France region this Thursday morning, October 31, before disappearing in the afternoon.
For the public holiday of Friday November 1, 2024, the weather service confirms that fog banks will be widespread throughout the Paris region. This includes Paris and the inner suburbs (Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne), as well as Val-d'Oise, Yvelines, Essonne and Seine-et-Marne. Although the sun is expected to come out, Météo France warns that dense fog will still be visible in the afternoon of Friday. We'll have to wait until evening to see this phenomenon dissipate.
As Météo France reminds us, fog is "a cloud whose base touches the ground, reducing visibility to less than 1 kilometer ". If you're wondering, there's no difference between fog and mist, from a meteorological point of view. " It's the same phenomenon ", explains Météo France. On the other hand, " we speak of mist when visibility is between 1 and 5 km, and of fog when it is less than 1 km ", explains the meteorological service.
So, this Friday, November 1, 2024, because of these forecast fog banks, motorists are being urged to be vigilant on the road, particularly in rural areas and on poorly lit routes. The French road safety website advises drivers to reduce their speed according to the lack of visibility, and to use their front fog lights in addition to their low-beam headlights. "Rear fog lights are very dazzling. Use them only in fog or snow, and never in the rain", it adds.
