News in brief

Friday 24 April 2026

Polymarket users win big off Paris weather data glitch

This article appeared as part of the Daily Sensemaker newsletter – one story a day to make sense of the world. To receive it in your inbox, featuring content exclusive to the newsletter, sign up for free here.

French police are investigating whether someone tampered with a weather sensor at Charles de Gaulle airport to make money on prediction market bets. Temperatures rose by several degrees on the evenings of 6 April and 15 April, increases that coincided with a flurry of well-timed bets on Polymarket. The site, which is used to bet on everything from war to football, runs markets on the peak daily temperatures of several cities. Over $500,000 was wagered on how hot Paris would get on 6 April, compared to $176,000 the day before. It is not known what caused the temperature spikes. One theory posits a well-placed hairdryer.

Newsletters

Choose the newsletters you want to receive

View more

For information about how The Observer protects your data, read our Privacy Policy

Follow

The Observer
The Observer Magazine
The ObserverNew Review
The Observer Food Monthly
Copyright © 2025 Tortoise MediaPrivacy PolicyTerms & Conditions