LANGUEDOC REGION

In general the Languedoc climate is Mediterranean, with hot dry summers, rainy winters, and moderate springs and autumns. You can expect to get 300 days of sunshine a year in the Languedoc, but the region covers a large area, and for various reasons the weather can vary considerably within its borders.

After Corsica, the Languedoc-Roussillon region is the hottest in France, with average annual temperatures between 13.5°C and 15°C. The coastline, sheltered by mountains, tends to be sunnier than and warmer than the inland areas. The mountains of course tend to be cooler, and valleys damper.

The coastal plains of the Languedoc rarely freeze in winter. Summer temperatures are frequently in the eighties (30C +). Generally, the inland temperatures are a few degrees cooler in winter and a few degrees warmer in summer. Nîmes, reputed to be the hottest place in France, recorded a shade temperature of 43C (110F) in 2001. On the Languedoc plains the rainfall is about 28 inches a year. Summer rain is infrequent and the days are long and dry. Heavy rains come in autumn and sometimes in spring.