France - weather in April

In April, the second month of spring, the weather in France is generally mild, a little cooler in the north and on the coast of the English Channel, and milder in the south and on the Mediterranean coast.

The average daily temperature is around 10 °C (50 °F) in the north (Hauts-de-France, Normandy, Brittany), while it reaches or exceeds 14 °C in the south, on the Mediterranean coast (see Perpignan, Marseille, Nice).
In the coldest periods, which generally occur in the first part of the month, the night temperature can drop slightly below freezing in the center-north. On the other hand, on the warmest days, generally in the second half of the month, the temperature can reach and exceed 25 °C (77 °F), even in Paris.

The precipitation increases slightly compared to February and March, and is frequent on the west coast, with a maximum in Brittany. In the rest of the country it is generally moderate. The least rainy area is, in the south, the Mediterranean coast (see Perpignan, Marseille, Nice).
In the high mountains, precipitation can still occur in the form of snow.
During the month, on the first warm days, thunderstorms can break out in the afternoon and evening, in the mountains and in the inland plains.

The sun shines for a good number of hours in the south (8 or more per day), while in the north, where the sky is often cloudy, it is seen more rarely: about 5 hours per day in Paris and on the northern coasts.

France is a fairly windy country. In the north, in Upper France, Brittany and Normandy, and more rarely in the southwest, on the Bay of Biscay, the wind can blow from the Atlantic, while in the south, in the Rhone Valley and on the coast, the mistral and the tramontane can blow, cold and dry winds that flow into the Mediterranean.

The sea is still decidedly cold for swimming, even in the south.

During the month, the length of the days gradually increases. In April, the average day in France is 14 hours long in the north and 13 and a half hours in the south.

The following tables show the climate averages in the month of April in France in a selection of locations.

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Monthly climate averages - April

(from north to south)



















See also: France, the weather in March - May
The climate of France