Homps is a small village in the Aude department of Southern France, in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It is located between Narbonne and Carcassonne, about 60 miles west of Montpellier on the Canal Du Midi.
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Homps experiences a Mediterranean climate with a long, hot and dry summer and mild winter, with brief springs and autumns. Rainfall is low, although Homps is not as dry as more easterly areas of southern France.
Summer (Mid-May to September)
Summers in Homps are long, hot and fairly dry. Summer lasts from May to September, so there is ample opportunity to experience the summer sun. May sees average daytime temperatures reach 20°C, and temperatures in the mid-twenties are to be expected. Temperatures peak at an average of 28°C in July, with the mercury frequently pushing past 30°C in July and August.
Visitors can expect long hours of sunshine throughout the summer â" nine hours of sunshine per day is the average in July, and eight hours is the norm in June and August. Seven hours is the average in May and September.
Typically, Mediterranean climates are notably dry in summer, but Homps is influenced by the Black Mountains to the north. As such, rainfall is somewhat higher than other Mediterranean regions with an average of around 30mm in July and August. However, July is very dry, with only 19mm the average.
Summer weather is ideal for cruising on the picturesque Canal Du Midi, where visitors can drift through the warming summer sunshine and relax in the shade of the trees that border the canal.
Autumn (October and early-November)
Autumn in Homps are short and mild. Average temperatures in October remain above 20°C, only falling to the mid-teens in November.
Rainfall, however, is slightly higher in autumn, with levels reaching 39mm in October and 44mm in November. The region often experiences short, occasionally violent, storms in autumn and the weather can be quite blustery at times.
Winter (late-November to February)
Winter in Homps lasts from late November to February, and is fairly cool. Average daytime temperatures are lowest in January, when the average is 10°C. December and February are slightly warmer.
December is fairly wet, seeing an average of 43mm of rain. However, Homps is protected from the extremes of more Mediterranean climates further east where rainfall is higher in winter. Rainfall levels fall as winter progresses, with January and February seeing progressively less rain. As the rainfall drops, temperatures begin to rise again in February as spring approaches.
Spring (March and April)
Spring sees temperatures climb to an average of 14°C in March, rising to 17°C in April. Visitors can expect plenty of sunshine and pleasantly warm weather, punctuated only occasionally by showers and windy conditions. March is notably dry, with rainfall of only 28mm making it the second driest month of the year. Oddly, however, this is followed by the wettest month of the year â" April sees average rainfall of 50mm. However, this is still not particularly wet; such levels are comparable with, say, London in June.