Storm Éowyn: A Turbulent Weekend Ahead for Northern France with Strong Winds and Heavy Rainfall

Storm Éowyn, expected to hit the British Isles this Friday, will have significant impacts on northern France, particularly along the English Channel coast. Strong winds and heavy rainfall are forecast to begin this Wednesday, January 22.

Powerful Winds and Impressive Waves

Named Éowyn by the UK’s Met Office, the storm will form in the Atlantic on Thursday before striking the UK on Friday and moving towards the North Sea and Norway on Saturday.

According to La Chaîne Météo, Éowyn will bring gusts of up to 170 km/h in Ireland and waves as high as 10 meters. In France, the storm’s effects will be felt along the Channel coast, where gusts may reach 80 to 90 km/h and up to 100 km/h in some areas. Inland, between Brittany and Hauts-de-France, winds of up to 80 km/h are also expected.

This phenomenon will be intensified by a “tight pressure gradient” – a stark difference between the low pressure at the storm’s core and the surrounding areas. This imbalance could trigger a “weather bomb,” marked by a sudden drop in atmospheric pressure of over 24 hPa within 24 hours.

Heavy Rainfall Expected

In addition to strong winds, Éowyn will bring significant rainfall to the northwest quarter of France. “Up to 30 mm of rain is expected in parts of southern Brittany,” explained Christelle Robert, a forecaster at Météo-France.

Rain will begin to fall along the Channel coast on Thursday night into Friday morning, spreading across Brittany and Hauts-de-France during the day. As the storm advances, it will affect the southern parts of northern France and reach the northeast by the evening.

A Stormy Weekend Ahead

Although no extreme hazards are currently expected, Météo-France warns of a turbulent weekend. Even after Storm Éowyn moves on, unsettled weather with wind and rain will persist in the northwest until Tuesday, January 28.