LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON
Climate and Weather
Climate and Weather
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Climate and Weather
In general, Languedoc-Roussillon has a Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers, rainy winters and moderate spring and autumn. On average one can expect about 300 days of sunshine, but there are considerable differences from area to area.
After Corsica, Languedoc-Roussillon is the warmest region of France (on average 4 degrees higher than Paris), with average temperatures between 13.5 and 16°C. On the coast, protected by the mountains, it is on average warmer and sunnier than inland. In the higher areas it is naturally cooler, and in the valleys it is much more humid.
In the coastal areas, it almost never freezes and the summer temperatures regularly exceed 30°C. Inland, it is a few degrees cooler in winter and a few degrees warmer in summer than on the coast. For example, Nîmes is considered the hottest place in France with a record temperature in 2001 of 43°C.
Some areas in Languedoc-Roussillon have microclimates. For example, close valleys have either a dry or a wet weather type. The Massif de l'Aigoual is one of the most important water reservoirs of the Massif Central. Due to the constant collisions between clouds from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, the average precipitation is about 2.25 metres per year. The number of fog days averages 241 per year and the winds reach speeds of up to 250 km per hour.
The weather in Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the most extreme in France. The area not only has the hottest summers, but also the strongest winds. There are also spectacular thunderstorms, hailstorms and sometimes serious flooding.
In the north, dry winds like the mistral (dry, cold north wind, coming from the Massif Central; about 150 days a year) and the tramontane blow in the summer. The tramontane blows regularly (approx. 192 days a year) and comes from the northwest of France. A few days a year the hot sirocco blows, bringing a lot of North African desert sand. Less well known are the 'cers' winds, which occur mainly in the area around Béziers; the Marin, a warm southeast wind from the sea; the Autun, a warm and humid southeast wind in the Corbières and Montagne.
To sum up:
-January and February are the winter months. In general a lot of rain, sometimes it freezes and there is snow on the high plains. High in the mountains it snows every year.
-March and April are quite unpredictable in terms of weather, with very summery days but also cloudy, rainy, cool days.
-May and June are very pleasant months with lots of sunshine and warm temperatures
-July and August are hot and dry, with daytime temperatures around 30°C. In September, the humidity is often high.
-October is also beautiful with lots of sunshine and reasonably high temperatures.
-November and December are cooler, but still pleasant with reasonable sunshine
Sources
Bongartz, M. / Languedoc-Roussillon
ANWB
Brutinot, L. / Languedoc-Roussillon
ANWB
Deggau, H. / Wandelgids Cevennen en Languedoc
ANWB
Encarta Encyclopedie
Graaf, G. de / Languedoc-Roussillon
ANWB
Hiddema, B. / Languedoc-Roussillon : Camargue, Cevennen
ANWB
Languedoc-Roussillon
Lannoo
Languedoc Roussillon : Gorges du Tarn, Cevennen, Carcassonne, Perpignan
Lannoo
Pijnenburg, H. / Cevennen, Languedoc
Gottmer/Becht
CIA - World Factbook
BBC - Country Profiles
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