Marianne C. Says:
I love the romantic idea of retiring to the South of France. But what’s the climate like there? I hear it described as sunny, but would like to know some specifics.
IL France Correspondent Tuula Rampont Says:
Hi Marianne,
The South of France rejoices in hot, dry summers—and it’s usually very mild throughout winter too. However, the region also gets some battering from the mistral wind, which is cold in winter and gusting warm in summer… blasting down the Rhône Valley toward the Riviera.
Still, winters here are the warmest you’ll find in France. Temperatures around Nice, for example, can reach 56 F during the daytime, and some five hours of sunshine can be expected. On average, there are about 22 dry days per month.
Average daily temperatures in the south rise to around 68 F by May, and the daily sunshine hours increase to nine or 10. There is less chance of a rain shower too, with around 23 dry days per month. The perfect Mediterranean climate…
Summer sizzles. Average daily maximum temperatures reach 81 F in August, and it’s usual to get 12 hours of sunshine per day. Rainfall is almost non-existent: 25 to 30 dry days per month can be expected. By fall, nights are getting longer, but the weather stays warm through September and October, with daytime temperatures often in the mid-70s.
By November, that figure has fallen to 63 F. October and November are the rainiest months, averaging around 4.5 inches each.
You can read about the climate throughout France—as well as much more detail about this European gem I now call home—in the pages of our guidebook, Escape to France.
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