Charles de Gaulle Temperature Spike Fuels $34,000 Polymarket Wins

On 6 April 2024 the Charles de Gaulle airport sensor rose about four degrees Celsius in twelve minutes, peaking at 22.5 °C before falling. A second jump to 22 °C was logged on 15 April. The spikes yielded Polymarket payouts of $14,000 and $20,000, about $34,000 total. Nearby stations recorded no comparable changes.

Newsweek

Polymarket is an online betting platform that offers wagers on real-world events, including weather. Though blocked in France, it used the Charles de Gaulle station for Paris temperature data. After the April spikes, it moved its feed to Paris-Le Bourget around 19 April, citing data-integrity concerns.

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• 6 April 2024 (18:30–18:42 CET): 4 °C jump to 22.5 °C at Charles de Gaulle.

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• 15 April 2024: second rise to 22 °C at same sensor.

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• 19 April 2024: Polymarket switches feed to Paris-Le Bourget.

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• Late April 2024: Météo France files complaint with Roissy Gendarmerie; investigation opened.

Newsweek

Météo France filed a complaint for “tampering with the operation of an automated data processing system” with the Roissy Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade. Meteorologist Paul Marquis said no wind-direction shift or humidity change was observed, calling the rise “quite suspicious” and suggesting possible physical heating. Polymarket shifted its temperature feed to Paris-Le Bourget around 19 April, according to reports.

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Discord and X users shared a video claiming a hairdryer heated the sensor. Analysts noted the device appears plugged in before removal from a bag and stays connected as the person walks away, suggesting staging. No law-enforcement agency has verified the clip, and Newsweek says it is unauthenticated.

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Authorities have not identified a suspect nor confirmed any tampering method. The authenticity of the circulating hairdryer video remains unverified. While the temperature anomalies are documented, the cause—natural or artificial—has not been established.

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• “There are several situations where a sudden temperature change can occur, particularly when the wind direction changes, or at the end of a storm,” — Paul Marquis, Meteorologist, Le Figaro

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• “But in this specific case, there was no change in wind direction or relative humidity, and the other stations recorded nothing. It’s difficult to say for sure, but a rise in natural temperature seems quite suspicious,” — Paul Marquis

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• “That would mean someone physically intervened with a heating device to change the temperature for an hour ,” — Paul Marquis

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• “tampering with the operation of an automated data processing system.” — Météo France (complaint)

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• “The video has not been authenticated by Newsweek or any other reliable source.” — Newsweek editorial note

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The Roissy Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade continues its probe, focusing on the anomalous data. The incident may intensify debate among French regulators about the use of public sensor data by betting platforms, and Polymarket’s shift to Paris-Le Bourget reflects a precautionary response to data-integrity concerns.

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