The year's weather in mainland France...

Climate assessment

10th hottest year
on record since 1900

Average temperature

0.5°C above normal*

Sunshine

consistent with normal levels**
across the country

Total mean rainfall

similar to normal*

Driest August and December

ever recorded over the 1959-2016 period

* 1981-2010 ** 1991-2010


Exceptional rainfall,
flooding and flash floods

in the North of France 
25 May - 6 June

Heatwave

particularly late
23 - 27 August

2 high-intensity rain-storms episodes

in Corsica
at the end of the year

Record heat

very late
1 - 15 September

Weather warnings
Key figures

103

103 days concerned by orange or red weather warnings

just above the annual average

4%

4% non-detection rate

at Département level

70

70 orange or red severe weather events

(3 at the red, i.e. the most severe level)
2016 is just behind 2013 in terms of
number of severe events

Strong winds and storms :
annual occurrence records

(21 and 14 events respectively)

82%

82% anticipation rate ≥ 3 hours

at Département level

92%

92% of French people say
they are familiar
with the weather warnings map

(Crédoc - June 2016)

14%

14% rate of false alarms

at Département level

… and Overseas

French Antilles-Guiana


Guadeloupe

Hottest year on record in the Îles du Nord,

tied with 2015

French Guiana

Hottest year on record

since measures first began back in 1955

Dry season

of extreme severity
September - November

80

80 severe weather events

This is considerably more
than in previous years


More active cyclone season

than normal over
the North-Atlantic basins :

16

16 cyclonic events

15 of which were named
(normally around 12 are) and
3 of which were at the
major hurricane stage
(Gaston, Matthew, Nicole)

Only Hurricane Matthew (category 5)
reached the Lesser Antilles
28 - 29 September

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Severe rain and storm
weather warnings

following the low pressure in the wake
of Tropical Storm Matthew
10 - 11 October

Strong wind and hazardous
sea warnings

during a severe low pressure system
from Nova Scotia 
16 - 17 December

Mayotte and Réunion Island

Mayotte

Heavy rain warnings

end of January

Reunion Island

Heavy rain warnings

end of December

Marked rainfall deficit

in the second half of the year across both islands

New Caledonia

Rainstorm

of severe intensity over
the centre of Grande Terre:
 

5th most intense weather
event ever observed

lasting six hours in New Caledonia
(up to 350 mm measured in six hours)

21 - 22 November

French Polynesia

The year was relatively calm
on the cyclone front

(1 tropical depression,
named Yalo, over the Territory)

Number of orange weather
warnings around the average

but more contrasted distribution
than usual between
the hot and cold season

20 days concerned
by orange weather warnings

because of the recurring episodes of heavy rain
and strong wind over the Society Islands,
Western Tuamotu Islands and Austral Islands – Tahiti in particular
February

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