, generally cool and wet, rainy and windy all year round, but especially in autumn and winter.
The city is located in the far north of France, in the Nord-Pas de Calais region, a short distance from the Belgian border. We are in French Flanders.
Along with Brittany, we are in one of the least sunny areas of France.
It is true that the climate is influenced by the Atlantic and the North Sea, but due to the distance from the sea (the North Sea is about 60 kilometers or 38 miles away), the climate is a little more continental than on the north coast of France, especially under the influence of continental air masses.
, from December to February, the average temperatures are quite low: normally, the maximum temperatures are around 6/7 °C (43/45 °F).
prevail, the temperature can become mild and can even reach 13/14 °C (55/57 °F), but the weather in these cases is cloudy and rainy; in these periods, the wind blows frequently, and sometimes can be strong.
, which are able to lower the temperature to the freezing point (0 °C or 32 °F) or a few degrees above; in these situations, the feeling of cold can be exacerbated by the wind.
The coldest periods occur under the influence of cold air masses from Russia, which can lead to a few days of
.
In Lille, the temperature rarely drops to around -10 °C (14 °F), though this may happen on colder winters. The coldest record is -19.5 °C (-3.1 °F) and was set in January 1982.
, from June to August, is a mild or pleasantly warm season: the days are very long, and the temperature generally lends itself to outdoor activities. However, the weather is
: there are some cool and rainy days due to Atlantic fronts, when the maximum temperature remains below 20 °C (68 °F), while on other occasions, the Azores High can bring a few hot and sunny days, with highs around 30 °C (86 °F).
Really hot days in Lille are quite rare, though sometimes they may occur because of hot air masses from Africa. In recent decades,
are becoming more frequent due to global warming, although up here to the north, they are usually short lived. The highest record is 41.5 °C (106.7 °F) and was set in July 2019.
to visit Lille runs from mid-May to mid-September, since it is the warmest and sunniest period of the year. Sometimes, nights can be cool or even a little cold even in these months, so it can be useful to bring a sweatshirt or sweater and a light jacket for the evening.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January, the coldest month of the year, is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
4.1 °C, with a minimum of
1.7 °C and a maximum of
6.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-5.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-13.4 °C in January 2013.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
13 °C. However, it reached
15.2 °C in January 2007.
Precipitation amounts to
60 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 8 hours and 35 minutes.
There are on average 2 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 25% of the time.
The average humidity is 87%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
18.2 kph.
February is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
4.8 °C, with a minimum of
1.9 °C and a maximum of
7.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-4.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-12.7 °C in February 1991.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
13.5 °C. However, it reached
19 °C in February 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
45 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 2.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 25% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
17.6 kph.
March is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
7.5 °C, with a minimum of
3.8 °C and a maximum of
11.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-2 °C. However, it dropped to
-10.5 °C in March 2013.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
18 °C. However, it reached
22.2 °C in March 2017.
Precipitation amounts to
60 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 33% of the time.
The average humidity is 77%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
17.1 kph.
April is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
10.5 °C, with a minimum of
6 °C and a maximum of
15 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
0 °C. However, it dropped to
-3.1 °C in April 2013.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
23 °C. However, it reached
27.9 °C in April 2007.
Precipitation amounts to
50 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 55 minutes.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 41% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
15.3 kph.
May is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
13.8 °C, with a minimum of
9.3 °C and a maximum of
18.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
3.5 °C. However, it dropped to
0.2 °C in May 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
27 °C. However, it reached
31.7 °C in May 2005.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 15 hours and 35 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 40% of the time.
The average humidity is 71%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
14.7 kph.
June is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
16.8 °C, with a minimum of
12.2 °C and a maximum of
21.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
7 °C. However, it dropped to
2 °C in June 2001.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
30 °C. However, it reached
34.5 °C in June 2011.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 16 hours and 25 minutes. So the days are long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 7 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 42% of the time.
The average humidity is 72%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
13.8 kph.
July, the warmest month of the year, is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
19 °C, with a minimum of
14.3 °C and a maximum of
23.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
9.5 °C. However, it dropped to
6.7 °C in July 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
32 °C. However, it reached
41.5 °C in July 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
70 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 15 hours and 55 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 7 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 43% of the time.
The average humidity is 71%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
13.7 kph.
August is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
18.8 °C, with a minimum of
14 °C and a maximum of
23.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
9 °C. However, it dropped to
6.9 °C in August 2011.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
32 °C. However, it reached
37.1 °C in August 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 25 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 45% of the time.
The average humidity is 72%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
13 kph.
September is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
15.8 °C, with a minimum of
11.4 °C and a maximum of
20.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
6 °C. However, it dropped to
2.9 °C in September 2018.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
27 °C. However, it reached
35.1 °C in September 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
60 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 35 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 40% of the time.
The average humidity is 77%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
13.4 kph.
October is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
11.9 °C, with a minimum of
8.4 °C and a maximum of
15.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
2 °C. However, it dropped to
-3.4 °C in October 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
21.5 °C. However, it reached
27.8 °C in October 2011.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 35 minutes.
There are on average 3.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 35% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
14.9 kph.
November is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
7.6 °C, with a minimum of
4.9 °C and a maximum of
10.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-1.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-7.8 °C in November 1998.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
16.5 °C. However, it reached
20.3 °C in November 2018.
Precipitation amounts to
70 mm, distributed over 13 days.
The day lasts on average 8 hours and 55 minutes.
There are on average 2 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 23% of the time.
The average humidity is 89%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
15.7 kph.
December is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
4.7 °C, with a minimum of
2.4 °C and a maximum of
7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-4.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-10.9 °C in December 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
13 °C. However, it reached
15.9 °C in December 2000.
Precipitation amounts to
70 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 8 hours and 5 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 1.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 20% of the time.
The average humidity is 89%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
17.2 kph.