Calais was the sunniest city in France in March with 222 hours of sunshine, ahead of Nice and its 221 hours, despite a very rainy month on the Côte d’Azur. This unusual contrast is explained by the position of anticyclones which favored dry weather in the north and significant precipitation in the south.
The month of March brought some meteorological surprises. While the Côte d’Azur experienced significant precipitation, the north of France enjoyed exceptional sunshine. Thus, Calais became the sunniest city in mainland France with 222 hours of sunshine, ahead of Nice and its 221 hours.
The rainfall was notable around the Mediterranean region. “A very rainy month near the Mediterranean, where more than twice the normal amount of rain fell, and up to four to five times the normal between Marseille and Toulon,” observes Météo-France. Nice was not spared, with seven consecutive days of rain, a situation not seen since November 2019.
Yet, despite these downpours, the city remains among the sunniest in France. With 221 hours of recorded sunshine, Nice occupies second place in the national ranking. A notable performance, although slightly below the seasonal average (-5%).
The North under the Sun
The contrast is surprising when we look towards the north of France. Calais surpasses Nice with 222 hours of sunshine. “It’s a record for Calais,” declare the forecasters from Météo-France. This surplus of sunshine is due to the presence of an anticyclone, which limited precipitation and favored dry and bright weather. “Generally, north of the Paris region, there’s an excess of 20 to 30%. Up to 90% on the coast,” the expert specifies.
This phenomenon contradicts the usual perceptions of weather in France. “It’s the opposite of everything we know,” continues Météo-France. This situation is due to the configuration of depressions and anticyclones. “During the month of March, they were mainly positioned over southern France, which brought gloomy weather. On the contrary, northern Europe recorded much lower precipitation, with dry and sunny weather.”
Reims, the third sunniest city, boasts 218 hours of sunshine. This unusual distribution illustrates the variability of the climate and reminds us that weather always holds its share of surprises.
