From the sand-stained rain to storm warnings and a yellow weather alert, the current conditions in Monaco, as well as across the Riviera, couldn’t be less like the usual sunshine and balmy temperatures that residents and tourists have come to expect on the first day of summer. 

Right across the region, people looked out their windows on Wednesday morning and were greeted with a peculiar haze that barely lifted throughout the day. Clouds and air heavy with dust particles from the Sahara Desert seemed to envelop the Riviera, largely blocking out the sunlight and creating a strange overcast atmosphere from sea to mountains.  

As the rain began to fall over the course of the day, the droplets turned muddy, leaving vehicles and streets streaked with traces of the Saharan sand.  

By the morning of Thursday 20th June, officially the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the dust appeared to have settled, but in its place were rain clouds and the threat of storms to come later in the day. A yellow weather alert has been activated.  

“Strong storm instability”

According to Météo France, the weather conditions experienced by the south of France and Monaco in recent days have been caused by “a descent of cold air at high altitude currently positioned off the Iberian Peninsula” and a rise of warm and humid air from the south. Combined, these factors are “associated with strong storm instability”.  

Earlier this week, the Monaco Government warned of increasingly poor air quality and advised those vulnerable to the unusual conditions to limit exercise and time spent outdoors.  

“According to air quality measurements conducted by the Environmental Directorate, the information threshold of 50 µg/m³ for fine particles (PM10) is likely to be reached on Wednesday 19th June,” shared a spokesperson for the government. “Starting Friday 21st June, weather conditions should allow for better dispersion and a decrease in the concentration of fine particles in the ambient air.” 

The weather is set to considerably improve on Friday 21st June, but the Riviera could be in for even more rain and bad weather next week, with forecasts predicting the possibility of extended stormy conditions between Sunday 23rd and Wednesday 26th June.  

Read related:

Blue Flag: French Riviera beaches among the cleanest in the country 

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