Questions for Paris residents
 

Hey Mr. K and others......
So, I'm here in lovely Paris and having a wonderful time but I'm wondering what's up with the wind? My weather app has warnings on strong winds and they aren't kidding! Does anyone know, will this continue for awhile, is it just normal spring weather? I felt like a mime mimicking going into a gale out on the streets this morning! Part of the gardens at the Rodin were closed mid-day because of strong winds.

Also, what was the big rally about today near the Rodin Museum? When I was at the museum it was very loud and looked like lots of folks forming up to march but I couldn't read enough of the signs to know what the issue was. Election?

Thanks for any info--- lynda

The wind is unusual in most seasons, but anything is possible in the spring when events like this are the most variable.

I believe that today's demonstrations were by tobacconists, poor dears, who feel that the new rules about neutral packaging might hurt their profession, which is the whole point of the new rules.

Oh, and there was also a demonstration by private doctors who are protesting a new payment system that benefits users but causes more work for doctors who don't want to invest in new technology.

Oh my, I would never have guessed. I took pictures through a fence and did see one sign saying tabac but figured it was a business in the background not in the protest. The main word on the banners started 'buraj...' but I couldn't make out all the letters. It seemed like a lot of folks turned out for it and they were very dedicated with using a lot of noisemakers!

Thanks for the info, kerouac.

Look on the bright side - the strong winds may help clean the Parisian air that has even exceeded Beijing's amount of potentiall lethal pollution recently - could be a Godsend!

Lyndash - my BBC weather forecast for Paris has the winds abating tomorrow [in fact they may already have done so] and then staying pretty constant at 10kms/hour for the next 10 days or so.

hope that helps!

The profession of tobacconist is <i>buraliste</i> in French.

There is often a violent "tempete" or two, usually during the period from late February through early April. This current wind is nothing in comparison. The "tempete" feels like a dry hurricane (though sometimes it rains), they close the airports and some attractions, the parks, etc. It's actually pretty cool - lots of people stay home, Paris is very quiet and the air smells clean for a change.

People killed in Germany and Austria by the same storm system blowing down trees and ladders.

Person also killed in the Netherlands by the wind yesterday.
Lots of lorries blown over, and several trees down in my neighbourhood. We ended up with the roof of a neighbour's bike shed in our garden.
My son lives on the coast and it was dramatic there. He took a bus to Amsterdam yesterday pm, and had to help the driver force the doors closed, and then had a long, slow ride over the Afsluitdijk, hoping they wouldn't be blown over.

March going out like a lion, instead of a lamb.

I was in Amsterdam once when winds were so strong that tiles were blowing off roofs - one landed not far from me - yes can be a dangerous time. the winds at that time blew down some catenaires of trains causing suspension of trains at Amsterdam Centrale - I was staying in Haarlem so had to scramble to find tram/bus links back.