France - weather in May

In May, the last month of spring, the weather in France is cool in the north, very mild in the center, and pleasantly warm in the south.

The average daily temperature is around 13 °C (55 °F) in the north (Hauts-de-France, Normandy, Brittany), and 15 °C (59 °F) in Paris, while it reaches 18 °C (64 °F) in the south, on the Mediterranean coast (see Perpignan, Marseille, Nice).
Sometimes it can still be a bit cold, especially in the first half of the month, in fact the night temperature can drop to around 0 °C (32 °F) in the center-north. Instead, on the hottest days, generally in the second half of the month, the temperature can reach 30 °C (86 °F), more easily in the south, but sometimes also in Paris.

The rains are frequent in the regions facing the Atlantic, in the north and west, and also in the Alps, while they are rarer in the southeast, on the Mediterranean coast. In the mountains, and sometimes in the inland plains, thunderstorms can break out in the afternoon and evening.

France is a fairly windy country. In the north, in Hauts-de-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 cold for swimming, especially the Atlantic, while the Mediterranean is still cold, but reaches 18 °C (64 °F) in Corsica.

The days are long, especially in the north, and their length gradually increases throughout the month. In May, the average day in France is 15 and a half hours in the north and 14 and a half hours in the south.

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

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Monthly climate averages - May

(from north to south)



















See also: France, the weather in April - June
The climate of France