Sighting in Paris, May 7, 2013

In the evening, several witnesses saw a number of lights moving across the sky in pairs. They were red-orange and left no trail. The witnesses counted six to eight of them, passing on either side of the Montparnasse tower, roughly from southwest to northeast. They gave no precise time for the sighting, saying only that it happened around aperitif and dinner time.

Weather records from the Paris Montsouris station, very close to the witnesses, showed a light southwesterly wind at 7 pm and 10 pm, but northeasterly and then southeasterly winds at 8 pm and 9 pm. At Orly, the wind was steadier and stayed southwesterly throughout this period.

Assuming a southwesterly wind, the lights were drifting with it. Their appearance and movement fit Thai lanterns very well. Releasing them is common on festive evenings, even in cities, although it is strongly discouraged in urban areas. GEIPAN classified the case as B: probable sighting of Thai lanterns.