My French neighbours ask me "Why do British expats live in the parts of France with the same weather as Britain ?" My reply is along the lines - closer to the channel ports, first French seaside holiday memories, it probably is better in summer, don't know, etc.

It is a very good question !

Thirty year historical climate information from www.theweathernetwork.com highest ave monthly max °C lowest ave monthly min °C Rain mm Rainy days Hrs sunshine Edinburgh 19 0 668 181 1286 London 22 0 754 162 1573 Strasbourg 25 -1 613 173 1639 Nancy 24 1 761 179 1652 Paris 24 1 650 170 1750 Brest 20 4 1109 211 1752 Dijon 25 0 732 165 1830 Bordeaux 26 2 923 170 2083 Nimes 30 2 763 98 2670 Marseille 29 3 545 84 2836

 

There are many influences on the weather in France :

• The North receives significantly less sunshine than the South
• The Atlantic coast receives damp westerly winds
• The Eastern part has a more continental climate
• The far South has a typical Mediterranean climate
• Alpine areas have their own climate

Temperatures in the British Isles are surprisingly high considering how far North they are. Average summer monthly highs compared to London are cooler in Brest, 4°C warmer in Bordeaux, and only 7°C higher in Marseille.

The warm gulf stream mitigates the extremes of continental climate in winter. Again France is only slightly warmer than London, although alpine regions are colder. French inland areas can have much lower temperatures during brief cold spells.

London has lower rainfall and fewer rainy days than much of France. Bordeaux, which shares the prevailing humid west wind, has substantially more rainfall and more rainy days. Only the extreme South of France has significantly less rain and fewer rainy days. However, very heavy rain can lead to flooding in the extreme South.

The geographical position and the humid westerly winds result in fewer annual hours of sunshine for Britain. As the summer days are longer, the shortfall is probably mainly in winter.

Some areas of France are subject to strong winds. Pleasantly refreshing in the summer, certain winds can be very cold and persistent in winter.

All areas of France have central heating suppliers !

Before considering a move to France, it is worthwhile researching :

• Average high °C
• Max temp °C
• Average low °C
• Min temp °C
• Rainfall mm
• Rainy days
• Hours of sunshine
• Flood risk
• Winds

 

And for those resident in UK : the weather may not be quite as bad as you think !