Today's weather for Paris, France21st Nov 2009 18:00

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Weather Overview for Paris

Paris has a temperate climate with warm summers and cold winters. There is a marked difference between the seasons but extreme hot or cold temperatures are rare. Rainfall is moderate and steady year round. The city is known for its sudden rain showers, although its annual average rainfall is low compared with other regions in France.

Summer Weather

Summer is generally warm in Paris, with the occasional heat wave. Peak summer is July and August and daytime highs are regularly in the mid-20s. The temperature won’t fall much below the mid-teens at night. Paris, as in the rest of France, often experiences a summer heat wave where temperatures can rise into the 30s. This can feel uncomfortable, especially at night. During the famous 2003 heat wave across Europe, temperatures in Paris touched 40°C.

Rainfall levels are moderate and you should expect the occasional downpour at any time. The rain can often arrive quickly and unexpectedly. Summer months average about 60mm of rain. Expect about 12 days in the month to have some rainfall on average. This means summer sees slightly more rain on average than the rest of the year, but fewer rainy days. This is due to the fact that summer rain generally falls in heavy showers – don’t be caught out without your brolly! Thunderstorms are likely in August and September, especially on particularly hot years. Despite the rain, sunshine levels are pretty good in summer, peaking in June and July at eight hours per day.

In short, you should be hot in Paris in summer but be prepared for some rain and the odd cool evening.

Autumn Weather

Autumn is a time of change. The summer weather quickly gives way to the start of winter. It is still warm in late September but starts to cool quite quickly. October sees average highs of 15°C and November only 10°C. Sunshine levels start out well but quickly drop and November can be rather grey. Early autumn is beautiful as the parks and tree-lined avenues turn golden. Rainfall in autumn is much the same as at the rest of the year, with a monthly average of around 50mm.

Winter Weather

Winters are quite cold in Paris: January, the coldest month on average, sees highs of 6°C and lows of 1°C. The surrounding months are only marginally warmer. It regularly falls below freezing but not by very much and not in the day.

Snow is sometimes seen, though it is uncommon. When snow does fall, Paris looks truly beautiful, as indeed it does on any clear crisp winter’s day. The effects of the city – thousands of clustered, heated buildings, cars and people – mean that temperatures are often one or two degrees warmer than outside the city. This is known as the ‘urban heat island effect’.

Rainfall levels are, again, around 50mm per month, though you’ll get a more grey drizzly days rather than short showers. Sunshine levels are low at around two hours per day.

Spring Weather

The cold winter weather gives way to warmer temperatures and longer days. The bare trees shrug on green leaves and blossom. March signals the arrival of change as temperatures once again regularly climb into double figures. Evenings in early spring can still be chilly but by May the weather is much more summer-like with the arrival of sunny days in the 20s. Early spring has statistically the lowest rainfall of the year, but in truth you should always be aware of the possibility of showers.

The weather averages only tell you a general story of what weather to expect; in reality you can get a cool, wet summer period or a particularly mild winter. Weather from year to year is different. There is not much ‘freak weather’ that threatens Paris, but the summer of 2003 saw a heat wave killing many elderly.

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