South of France

The information here refers to the weather in south-east France, on the French Riviera. The weather in the other regions of southern France (Midi-Pyrenees, the Dordogne or along the Atlantic Coast) is significantly different – see notes below for regional variations. Weather in January Typical minimum daily temperature 5° centigrade, maximum 13° Seven days with rain in January 160 hours of sunshine

Each year there are numerous fires in the hot Provence sun, often due to lack of care and attention. On average, 3000 fires each year destroy 15,000 hectares of forest. As a result, there are rules and regulations to follow, and times when certain areas are closed to the public. Since these anti-fire measures will be useful to anyone vising Provence, here is a quick guide: Forbidden Smoking or discarding cigarette butts in forest and wooded areas Barbecues and campfires [...]

May 2008, and a few days of exceptionally heavy rain led to a great deal of flooding and damage in the Dordogne and surrounding areas. The picture shows the road, with the tops of fence posts just visible. Luckily the poor weather tends to pass quickly, but this type of flooding can occur at any time of the year (this years was the worst for 20 years) disrupting traffic and isolating towns and villages for a day or two.

The south of France has a mild – warm climate, with different characteristics in the east and west of the region. Weather in south-east France and the Mediterranean Along the coast of the Mediterranean, in Provence and Languedoc Roussillon, the climate is typically Mediterranean! During the summer the days are hot and sunny and rain infrequent. The winters tend to be quite short and mild. This region of France has more days of sunshine than any other in the country [...]