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Climate in France
The climate is different in various regions of France because of the relatively large size of the country. The flat and low-lying west is rarely flooded with heavy rains, while the mountainous regions of the east and the south of France receive a much bigger percentage of rainfall per year. The Atlantic brings changeable weather to the northern and northwestern parts of the country and the Mediterranean influence makes the southern France warmer than the rest of the country.
The heaviest precipitation in France can be found in the mountainous parts - the western Alps, the Pyrenees and the Massif Central. These areas are generally colder than other parts of the country, with heavy snowfalls in winter and frequent rainfalls in summer. The only exception are the mountainous regions adjacent to the Mediterranean coast, which are warm and sunny, especially in summer. France is often divided into five climatic regions.
Central and Eastern France
This region is notorious for the cold winters with frost and snow in the northwest. The summers are warm with low rainfall. Thunderstorms are common in the region. Further south it gets warmer ans sunnier.
Corsica and the Mediterranean Coast
Mediterranean climate in France is limited to the Rhone valley, Languedoc and Provence, all of which are coastal areas. Summers here are hot and there is a three-month spell of drought. In spring, the mistral leads to typical spells of cold weather. Generally, the winters here are mild, but on the mountainous Corsica the snowfalls may be heavy and may last well into spring.
The Mountainous Region
These areas are the coldest and in France and receive the most rainfalls. The bigger part of the winter precipitation is snow, while in general, precipitation tends to be highest in autumn and winter. The summers are relatively warm but thunderstorms are not unusual.
Northern France
The region comprises all coasts and adjacent inland. The climate is a maritime. The summers are warm but rarely hot. The hours of sunshine are between seven and eight. The winters are mild with almost no frost or snow. This region is the rainiest in France at all times of the year. The climate in the northeastern parts is typically continental with cold winters and warm summers.
Southern France
Southern France is a lowland region. Summers have more sunshine than the north and northwestern regions. The spells of settled weather here are significantly longer. Towards the Pyrenees the summer rains are heavy and of short duration. The winters are generally mild with short spells of cold weather.