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French weather forecast quiz: 10 questions on place and timing

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Read four French forecast extracts and answer ten questions about rain, wind, fog and changing conditions. Includes translations and weather picture cards.

In short

In a French forecast, keep three details together: where, when and what changes. Dès gives a starting point, jusqu’à an endpoint, and en revanche introduces a contrast. Read the four forecast extracts, then answer ten questions.

A Breton coastal landscape with pale sun breaking through clouds as rain approaches over the sea, a small stone village.
A changing sky gives context to le bulletin météo. Illustration: Atelier

Weather you can recognise

Forecast transcripts · place and timing

Quatre extraits du bulletin

A · Bretagne, vendredi matin

En Bretagne, la matinée de vendredi sera sèche, avec quelques éclaircies. La pluie arrivera par l’ouest1 vers 14 heures et gagnera l’ensemble de la région avant 18 heures. Le vent se renforcera sur la côte en soirée. À l’intérieur des terres, il restera modéré.

B · Lyon, vendredi

À Lyon, le brouillard persistera jusqu’à2 10 heures environ. Il se dissipera ensuite et le soleil fera son retour. En revanche3, des averses sont attendues dès 17 heures. Les températures atteindront 18 degrés dans l’après-midi, puis baisseront en soirée.

C · Alpes, nuit de vendredi à samedi

Dans les Alpes, la neige tombera cette nuit au-dessus de4 1 800 mètres. Plus bas, il pleuvra. Samedi matin, les chutes de neige cesseront, mais les nuages resteront nombreux. Les éclaircies reviendront seulement en fin de journée5.

D · Montpellier, samedi

À Montpellier, le ciel sera dégagé samedi matin. Le vent soufflera déjà fort et se renforcera encore à partir de6 midi. Des rafales7 de 70 kilomètres à l’heure sont attendues près du littoral. Le vent faiblira8 dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche. Aucune pluie n’est prévue samedi.

Read it in English

A · Brittany: Friday morning will be dry, with some sunny intervals. Rain will arrive from the west at around 2 pm and spread across the whole region before 6 pm. The wind will strengthen on the coast in the evening. Inland, it will remain moderate.

B · Lyon: Fog will persist until around 10 am. It will then clear and the sun will return. By contrast, showers are expected from 5 pm. Temperatures will reach 18 degrees in the afternoon and then fall in the evening.

C · Alps: Tonight, snow will fall above 1,800 metres. Lower down, it will rain. On Saturday morning, the snowfall will stop, but there will still be plenty of cloud. Sunny intervals will return only towards the end of the day.

D · Montpellier: The sky will be clear on Saturday morning. The wind will already be strong and will strengthen further from midday. Gusts of 70 kilometres an hour are expected near the coast. The wind will weaken overnight from Saturday into Sunday. No rain is forecast for Saturday.

  1. Question 1No account needed
    A · Which period is forecast to stay dry in Brittany?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Friday morning.. The extract says la matinée de vendredi sera sèche; rain arrives during the afternoon.

  2. Question 2No account needed
    A · Where does the rain arrive first?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    From the west.. Par l’ouest identifies where the rain first enters the region.

  3. Question 3No account needed
    A · Where is the evening wind expected to strengthen?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    On the coast.. The coast is contrasted with inland areas, where the wind remains moderate.

  4. Question 4No account needed
    B · At approximately what time is the fog expected to clear?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    10 am.. Jusqu’à 10 heures environ sets the approximate endpoint of the fog.

  5. Question 5No account needed
    B · You go out at 6 pm. Which condition is expected by then?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Showers.. Showers are expected dès 17 heures, so they are forecast from 5 pm onwards.

  6. Question 6No account needed
    C · What falls at 1,500 metres during the night?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Rain.. Snow is forecast above 1,800 metres; the extract explicitly says it rains lower down.

  7. Question 7No account needed
    C · Does the end of snowfall mean sunshine on Saturday morning?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    No, cloud remains until later sunny intervals.. The snowfall stops, but cloud remains. Sunny intervals come only towards the end of the day.

  8. Question 8No account needed
    D · What changes from midday on Saturday?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    The wind gets stronger.. Se renforcera encore à partir de midi means the already strong wind strengthens further.

  9. Question 9No account needed
    D · When is the wind expected to weaken?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    During the night from Saturday into Sunday.. The final wind sentence specifies dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche.

  10. Question 10No account needed
    Across the extracts, which place explicitly has no rain forecast on Saturday?

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Montpellier.. Extract D says Aucune pluie n’est prévue samedi. The other extracts do not make that Saturday claim.

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