Today's weather for Bergerac, France17th May 2008 11:00

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Weather Overview for Bergerac

Bergerac is a quaint French market town nestled within the south west wine producing region of Dordogne upon the Dordogne River and is home to many famous wine producers and is also known for its tobacco industry. Surrounding Bergerac you will find 120 wine producers, so with that in mind it is a perfect place to visit year round because there is no better time to enjoy nice wine than all year round!

The climate in Bergerac is much like the majority of the south of France, mild with short winters, longer summers and no real temperature extremes. Bergerac is set slightly inland, located about 90 km east of Bordeaux so it isn’t as affected by the Atlantic winds which have the affect of cooling nearby coastal towns.

Enjoying the charming 15^th century fixtures and quaint half timbered houses is best done in the Spring time. Spring sees the cobbled streets line with vibrant flower boxes and the air is filled with the fresh, pure smell of blossoming trees and flowers. The springtime sees less tourists then summer so you can happily relax with a glass (or a bottle!) of the regions famous wine without fighting throngs of families with their young children. March and April see average temperatures of 11 and 14 degrees respectively before warming up to 18 degrees in May. March has a tendency to be slightly windier so if this is of concern then its best to visit in the later side of Spring.

The region attracts a lot of tourists come Summer time. It is a popular destination for the French as well as people from all over the world. It is difficult to detract from the beauty of the area, but the higher prices and tourist concentration that the summer months bring will certainly test your patience. Bergerac is not as busy as neighboring Bordeaux so while it will fill up in summer it does still remain a relatively quiet, quaint French market town. The average temperature hovers around 23 to 24 degrees with days of 30+ temperatures not uncommon. The temperature will reach or surpass 30C on average 8 times a month throughout July and August. It was in Bergerac that one of the hottest days in the region was recorded, when the mercury rose to an uncomfortable 42 degrees in July 1949.

Annually, Bergerac averages about 112 rain days. There are occasional thunderstorms which will bring torrential down pours. Bergerac's historically wettest day came on May 17 1971 when a record 100mm precipitation was measured on the one day!

Come Autumn and Winter the temperatures begin to cool down. In October the average temperature drops down to 16 degrees, from 20 degrees in September. If you’re here in October, don’t miss the grape harvest but this does however mean that many wineries wont offer wine tours and tasting so keep that in mind. November plays host to an average night time minimum of 5 degrees. The coldest temperature recorded for Bergerac was -21C on 17 January 1987.

Annual sunshine hours range from 1900 to 2000 from the north to the south of the Dordogne region. In spring, summer and autumn the Bergerac and the South west of the region enjoys a higher number of sunshine hours than the rest of the area.

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