What is all the talk about the Languedoc weather?

They say that no-one talks more about the weather than the British, so it has been very interesting to see over the years that this is very much a hot topic here in the Languedoc, among the French as well as expats of all varieties!

One often hears people hotly defend their own areas while pointing out the worse climate in other areas and one of the most common claims is to a special "micro-climate", setting an area aside from the rest of the region! So, are there micro-climates and, if so, just how significant are they?

Before looking at micro-climates, perhaps one needs to consider briefly the main characteristics of the Languedoc - a region of the South of France, with distinctly different areas... the very long Mediterranean coastline... the lush inland plains... then, further inland, the hills of the national park or the Pyrénées mountains.

The South of France is known generally for mild winters (although there can be cold snaps), beautifully sunny and very hot summers, sudden storms (usually clearing quite quickly) and often strong winds. So, these are factors one can face in any part of the region.

Of course, if you go up into the hills or mountains, then naturally you will find it is often cooler or cloudier - and at significant altitude, quite cold in the winter. However, that is true almost anywhere, not exclusively in the Languedoc, so no real micro-climate factor there.

It is also said that there is a climate effect as one gets closer to the Pyrénées, particularly with winds coming out of the mountains - and it does seem that how those winds are funnelled can affect how windy or calm, damp or dry, a particular valley may be and how windy a particular town or village may be. So, signs of micro-climates.

However, our experience is that, generally, if it is hot and sunny, or very windy, or particularly stormy, then that tends to prevail across most of the region - and mainly overwhelm any micro factors.

Still not sure - well this is one of the best guides we have seen to the region's climate, giving a lot of information about temperatures, rainfall, winds, etc...

Languedoc-france.info     

On a final note, if a local estate agent tells you that their area is best for buying a house, because of its exceptional weather, do consider who might be responsible for much of the talk about micro-climates!!