[weatherlayer country=”France” city=”Paris”]
France Weather
France stretches from northern Europe to the Mediterranean. That alone creates a great variety in climatic conditions. But, additionally, France is bordered by four seas – the North Sea, the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. It has three mountain ranges (the Alps, the Jura and the Pyrenees), and the edge of the central European lowlands.
This means that France is a country with very diverse climatic conditions, resulting in very different weather patterns.
East v. West
The climate of northern France is fairly similar to that of the southern-most parts of England, like Cornwall. Here, as we know so well in Britain, the influence of Atlantic weather systems is predominant bringing rain at any time of year.
As you move south and east, the influence of the Atlantic weather systems diminishes and becomes more subjected to continental weather. So, for example, Paris is considerably milder and warmer than London.
The western areas of France therefore benefit from a mild climate, with moderate rainfall throughout the year. Brittany, jutting out into the Atlantic, has a particularly mild climate and can have quite rainy periods even in summer.
The eastern side of France has a more continental climate. Except in the mountains, it is generally drier than western France and the winters are colder and summers that are hotter.
The south coast of France benefits from a continental climate moderated by the influence of the Mediterranean Sea. It is generally drier than the rest of France and without the cold winters of the rest of the continental climate zone.
Three Winds
The climate of eastern and south-eastern France is particularly influenced by three famous winds, la Bise, le Mistral and le Tramontain.
La Bise is the dry east wind that can blow over from central Europe; in winter it can be bitterly cold, in summer blisteringly hot. Blocked over France by the Atlantic weather systems and by the Massif Central mountains, la Bise is forced south and notably channeled down the Rhone valley towards Provence, where it becomes le Mistral.
Le Mistral is thus a dry wind that can blow over central Provence for weeks on end, and in winter can be surprisingly cold. The wind that skirts round the Massif Central or blows over the top of it towards the Mediterranean is known as Le Tramontain.
The Riviera
Here in the extreme southeast of France, the area around Cannes, Nice and Monaco, benefits from its own microclimate; protected from the Mistral by the mass of the Alps, the climate on this narrow coastal plain is pure Mediterranean, with mild winters and warm summers.
The Mountain regions
The mountain areas of France have a cooler climate than surrounding areas and more rain. Since the wet winds in France are those that come from the west or to a lesser extent from the south, it is the southern and western sides of the mountain ranges that are wetter. This is particularly the case with the Massif Central, whose eastern half is drier. The Cevennes Mountains, the south eastern part of the Massif Central, are generally quite dry, but can receive deluges of heavy rain if wet air moves up from the Mediterranean, which happens most often in the Spring or Autumn.
During summer, the upland areas of central southern France are generally warm and sunny, but dramatic skies can brew up on sultry summer afternoons, often developing into short but spectacular thunder storms.
In the Pyrenees, it is the French side of this range (the north eastern side) that is wetter than the Spanish side. This is because moist oceanic air is pulled through southwest France from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. In all the mountain areas of France, thunderstorms are a common feature in summer.
Further Information About France:
- An Overview of France
- Accommodation & Places to Stay
- Places of Interest
- How to Get There
- Local Cuisine
- Things to Do in France
- A Brief History of France