, with mild, relatively rainy winters and hot, sunny summers, sometimes sultry, but tempered by the breeze.
The city is located in southern France, on the Mediterranean coast, and a short distance from the Pyrenees, which mark the border with Spain. Perpignan is the capital of the Pyrénées-Orientales department, in the administrative region called Occitania, and is also the main city of Northern Catalonia (or French Catalonia).
because it is located in one of the corridors through which air masses of Atlantic origin flow into the Mediterranean. The "Tramontane" wind, which here blows from west-north-west, increases the feeling of cold. Perpignan is a particularly windy city because it also receives the wind from the sea (the summer breeze, but also the east wind or "levant" that brings rainfall), and the wind that comes down from the Pyrenees. With the latter, the temperature can reach 18/20 °C (64/68 °F) even in the middle of winter.
Perpignan is one of the least rainy cities in France. The
because when the wind comes from the south, the city is in rain shadow thanks to its proximity to the Pyrenees, but also when it blows from the west, as there are mountains that exceed 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) even in the west. But sometimes, with the wind coming from the sea, abundant rains and concentrated in a short time can occur, especially in autumn.
, from December to February, is mild. Rains are quite rare even in this season. When the westerlies prevail, Atlantic disturbances bring mild weather, sometimes windy: in these cases, the temperature can reach and exceed 15 °C (59 °F).
On the other hand, when a high pressure area dominates, the temperature at night can get close to freezing, but the sun comes out during the day.
On the contrary, when the wind blows from Russia, there can be cold waves. However, snow is very rare, and it may not fall for many years in a row.
Given the location in a protected area between the sea and the mountains, the temperature in Perpignan rarely drops below -5 °C (23 °F). However, the coldest record is -11 °C (12 °F) and was set in February 1956.
is hot and sunny, with rare thunderstorms. There are hot and sultry periods, in which the daytime temperature reaches or exceed 32 °C (90 °F).
At times, heat waves can occur, which are becoming more frequent in recent years due to global warming, and in which the temperature can exceed 35 °C (95 °F). The highest record is 42.4 °C (108.3 °F) and was set in late June 2019.
, from mid-April to mid-June. September is also a good month. Summer, from mid-June to August, can be hot and muggy, even though it's the best time for those who also want to swim in the sea. Winter is generally mild, but it can sometimes get cold and it can rain.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January, the coldest month of the year, is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
8.8 °C, with a minimum of
4.8 °C and a maximum of
12.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-2.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-5.2 °C in January 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
19 °C. However, it reached
22.8 °C in January 2013.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 5 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 30 minutes.
There are on average 4.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 48% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.
The average wind speed is of
17 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
13.3 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
February is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
9.2 °C, with a minimum of
5 °C and a maximum of
13.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-1 °C. However, it dropped to
-5.9 °C in February 2010.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
20 °C. However, it reached
25.4 °C in February 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
50 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 35 minutes.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 54% of the time.
The average humidity is 65%.
The average wind speed is of
18.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
12.9 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
March is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
12 °C, with a minimum of
7.6 °C and a maximum of
16.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
1.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-5.2 °C in March 2005.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
23.5 °C. However, it reached
28 °C in March 1997.
Precipitation amounts to
40 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 7 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 56% of the time.
The average humidity is 63%.
The average wind speed is of
18.5 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
13.2 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
April is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
14.2 °C, with a minimum of
9.7 °C and a maximum of
18.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
4.5 °C. However, it dropped to
0.3 °C in April 1998.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
25.5 °C. However, it reached
32.3 °C in April 2011.
Precipitation amounts to
60 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 7.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 54% of the time.
The average humidity is 64%.
The average wind speed is of
18.6 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
14.2 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
May is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
17.8 °C, with a minimum of
13.3 °C and a maximum of
22.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
7.5 °C. However, it dropped to
4 °C in May 2004.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
29.5 °C. However, it reached
34.4 °C in May 2001.
Precipitation amounts to
45 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 40 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 7.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 52% of the time.
The average humidity is 64%.
The average wind speed is of
17.2 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
16.6 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
June is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
22 °C, with a minimum of
17.2 °C and a maximum of
26.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
12 °C. However, it dropped to
8.1 °C in June 2019.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
34 °C. However, it reached
42.4 °C in June 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
25 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 15 hours and 20 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 9 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 58% of the time.
The average humidity is 59%.
The average wind speed is of
16.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
19.9 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cool for swimming.
July, the warmest month of the year, is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
24.6 °C, with a minimum of
19.7 °C and a maximum of
29.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
15.5 °C. However, it dropped to
12.3 °C in July 2000.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
35 °C. However, it reached
37.6 °C in July 2003.
Precipitation amounts to
10 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 55 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 9.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 64% of the time.
The average humidity is 55%.
The average wind speed is of
16.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
22.6 °C. Therefore, the sea can be considered barely acceptable for swimming.
August is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
24.5 °C, with a minimum of
19.7 °C and a maximum of
29.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
15 °C. However, it dropped to
10.4 °C in August 1992.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
35 °C. However, it reached
38.5 °C in August 2018.
Precipitation amounts to
25 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 50 minutes.
There are on average 8.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 62% of the time.
The average humidity is 58%.
The average wind speed is of
15.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
23.8 °C. Therefore, the sea is warm enough for swimming.
September is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
20.8 °C, with a minimum of
16.1 °C and a maximum of
25.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
10.5 °C. However, it dropped to
6.8 °C in September 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
31.5 °C. However, it reached
35.6 °C in September 2008.
Precipitation amounts to
40 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 7.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 60% of the time.
The average humidity is 62%.
The average wind speed is of
14.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
22.4 °C. Therefore, the sea can be considered barely acceptable for swimming.
October is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
17 °C, with a minimum of
12.9 °C and a maximum of
21.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
5.5 °C. However, it dropped to
2.1 °C in October 2009.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
27.5 °C. However, it reached
33.1 °C in October 1997.
Precipitation amounts to
75 mm, distributed over 5 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 49% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.
The average wind speed is of
14.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
19.8 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cool for swimming.
November is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
12.4 °C, with a minimum of
8.4 °C and a maximum of
16.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
1 °C. However, it dropped to
-5.7 °C in November 1998.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
22.5 °C. However, it reached
26.1 °C in November 2015.
Precipitation amounts to
60 mm, distributed over 5 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 40 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 51% of the time.
The average humidity is 69%.
The average wind speed is of
16.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
16.9 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
December is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
9.4 °C, with a minimum of
5.4 °C and a maximum of
13.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-1.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-5.9 °C in December 2001.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
19.5 °C. However, it reached
22.6 °C in December 1998.
Precipitation amounts to
60 mm, distributed over 5 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 5 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 45% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
16.2 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
14.4 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.