Police investigate claims that someone used a hair dryer to win $34k Polymarket weather bet

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French officials are looking into reports that someone deliberately altered a temperature reading with a hair dryer, after bets on the weather resulted in winnings of $34,000.

Polymarket is a leading prediction market where people can bet on a wide range of future events. As long as an event has a definite result that can be confirmed, it can be traded on the site. While you’ll find typical betting options like sports and elections, Polymarket also features more unique predictions, such as whether a celebrity will be arrested, if aliens will be sighted, or what the weather will be.

Record high temperatures were reported at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport at the same time many people were betting on how hot it would get. Because of concerns the temperature readings might have been deliberately altered, French authorities have begun an investigation.

The largest single bet returned $21,000

Temperatures were surprisingly high on April 6th and 15th. Reports show it reached 21 degrees Celsius at 7 p.m. and 22 degrees Celsius at 9:30 p.m.

There was a very small chance – just 1% – that the temperature would exceed 18 degrees Celsius on those days. Because it didn’t, people who had bet on warmer weather received significant payouts, totaling $34,000. One individual trader alone received $21,000.

A video has since emerged of the sensor in question being heated by a man with a hairdryer.

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According to Sébastien Brana, an administrator with the Infoclimat Association, unusual readings were caused by maintenance work done on the weather station’s housing yesterday. Brana stated that he and his team flagged the issue, and an official complaint has been submitted.

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2026-04-26 21:18