Rain in Paris
 

I'm going to be in Paris next week Mon-Thur., and the forecast is continuing to be dismal. Just wondering, those of you there, has the rain been all-day downpours or just showers off and on?
Thanks!

We will be in Paris next week also-Tues-Fri. Hoping for nice weather!

If it is rainy, visit museums & the many interesting covered passages.

Stu Dudley

Well if London is any indication it has been raining more than I have experienced in 5 years of living here unfortunatey. Today it is just very grey and dark with misty rain, and it is suppose to brighten (but not get sunny) over the weekend here.

Paris looks like rainy dismal weather until at least Tues :(

Today, it started out dismal and now it's sunny. If it rains, it's never for long. We're actually getting March weather (when we got May weather instead this year) which means sudden downpours interspersed with sunny periods. The temperature has even gone up to 19°C so you need a raincoat and a couple of layers. You might like to check out my blog for some different things to do and local places to eat www.aussieinfrance.com

We have just had two weeks of dismal, rainy days in which it would rain all day. Monday afternoon there was a bit of clear sky and ever since then things have seemed back to normal, with rain everyday, but not all day.

I've been in Paris several times before when there were brief showers but have never experienced all day downpours. The forecasts look as though that's been the case recently and continuing. Everyday rain but not all day sounds manageable!
Thanks, all!

As I have said in other posts, and others agree above, this is not a normal year - whatever that means. Here in the Dordogne we hardly saw the sun in April, and that meant days and days of rain. I dont think Paris was different. Here is the forecast from Meteo France, which does not show whole days of rain next week. Just not much sun.

http://france.meteofrance.com/france...nsville/751010

We arrived this morning and despite weather.com's dismal forecast, it was a beautiful day. A miracle! Not only did it not rain, but the sky was blue with fluffy clouds. No umbrella, just sunglasses! The forecast for tomorrow is 90% chance of rain, but after today, I'm being hopeful!

I left the sunglasses in the apartment thinking it was going to be rainy and it was so nice to have the weather predicted wrong. Wed was cold and very rainy. We are hoping the forcast will be wrong for the weekend as we are off to Normandy.

My friend Indy returned from a week in Paris and he said it rained all the time.
Grandmere Hoping it stops for your arrival.

I have found that generally the weather in Paris is better than predicted but it seems as though the last several days have been spot on, from what I'm reading, except for today. Thanks for all the good wishes for nice weather; after the few days in Paris we go to Uzes for a week, and surely it will be warmer and drier there. I hope all travelers, wherever they go, have sunny skies. (And here in the 'Burgh, it was 87 today!)

Sue, have fun!

It was too hot here for me today. I tend to get a lupus flare whenever the temps climb, and I could barely move today. I'm thinking that rain and gloomy days in Paris sound great.

I was so sick all day that I didn't bother to check the temperature, but I'm glad to hear you say it was really that hot. It might be a good explanation for why I felt so hideous!

I'm spending these weeks waiting for my new granddaughter... her name may possibly be Bianca.

Bon voyage, my friend.

Showers are intermittent. May 1st was hot and sunny all day, but now we are back to scattered showers, although most afternoons have been pleasant and warm over the past few days.

The forecast is never reliable beyond a few hours, so you can disregard that. Changing weather is normal for Paris, especially in spring and fall.

On average, there is measurable precipitation every other day in Paris, although recent years have been exceptionally dry. In practice, this means that there are frequent showers for a few days, then a few days with no rain, then days with showers again, and so on.

Most showers are light and of short duration. Occasional there are brief but substantial showers. Sustained rain for an entire day is rare, but sometimes very light, misty rain can fade in and out for several hours. Thunderstorms are rare.

The rain is usually light enough that you can walk around without an umbrella and simply duck under a tree or awning if a shower begins. After a few minutes it usually stops again and you can continue on. You can take an umbrella if you want extra protection, but it's not unusual to see people ignoring the very light rain that commonly occurs in the city.

Grandmere & centralparkgirl,
I don't think weather.com is reliable at all. When we went to Barcelona in October 2010, I checked weather.com, which predicted rain for every day we were going to be in Spain. In reality, it only rained one morning, & then we had beautiful weather for our entire trip.

We haven't had normal weather here in New England either. The winter was unusually warm, no snow, except for a freak storm in October, & then 3 - 4 inches of snow in March. And March was warmer than May so far. We had a big dinner party at our house in March & our guests were able to dine on our deck! Unheard of in March in New England. And now we are turning the heat on in our house!

To everyone who is in Paris in May, I hope you have sunny & warm weather. I will be there in July/August & I'm praying for sun & warmth, too :-) But not too hot!

Been raining here in New England all week....raw and gloomy. I sure hope that is not what we will be going into when we arrive in Paris on the 16th of May....have been following Accuweather and they are forecasting rain the whole week we are there and chilly too, so I hope it is wrong. Wondering if I should pack raincoat now???

before my 4 day trip to Paris i checked weather.com which indicated that rain was likely... i also checked wunderground.com which indicated that it would be partly cloudy instead. It only rained once and it didn't last long. As others have said, there are awesome indoor attractions.

-churches (from inside of course)
-Louvre
-Brady Passage (for some indian flavor)
-La Defense shopping area
-Conciergerie
-Invalides army museum
-Opera Garnier

just to name a few

Tuscanle,
i'm sorry the weather here affected you yesterday; I think today is another of the same. Lie low and have fun thinking about the new grandbaby!

Everyone seems to be reinforcing my experience that the forecast "ain't necessarily so". Hope that low of 42 that I see for Mon. is another example of that!

We just returned on Wednesday. I was so happy I decided at the last minute to take my boots! Rainy and wet for the first couple of days...we even saw itty bitty hail for a few minutes. But the sun would break through occasionally, and on the last 3 days, it was spectacular! If you saw the photos of Sarkozy's May Day rally at Trocadero and the beautiful blue skies...it was truly gorgeous and the weather divine.

Just take your umbrella everywhere. And layers layers layers.

Most of the locals told us the weather has been awful and rainy for weeks and weeks. And boy are they tired of it!

If there is any place to be in the rain, it's Paris. I have been there 3 times, and don't remember the weather factoring into my good times, unless it was a day trip to Versailles, for example. There are so many good, small museums, restaurants, etc. that every day will take on a different character, not weather dependent. As mentioned before, just take good rain gear and have fun!

This is my 15th trip to Paris: I know where to go, I know how to pack; I just wondered if the forecast has been accurate. :-)

Yesterday's forecast was not accurate. We did have some mild showers on and off, but mostly off with some sun. The thunderstorm that was forecast for last night never happened. It was a lovely night.

IN Europe's drizzle belt (the area close to the sea, preternaturally temperate and subject to the permanent struggle between dryish, cold weather from Russia and warmer wetter air from the Americas), there's no such thing as bad weather and whatever it is, it rarely lasts.

Forecasts for rain merely mean there will be rain -among otgher things. Even if that sentence proves accurate, no-one purports to predict how long showers will last.

Forecasts are actually fairly accurate a day or so ahead. But the words they use to turn the numbers into a human language are often misunderstood - and organisations providing forecasts to the general public are under greater pressure to warn people of possible inconveniences than to provide spurious certainty about a climate which is never certain (farmers can buy more specialised forecasts).

If it says it'll rain, there'll always be times it won't. But around London, Paris and their hinterlands, it's never a bad idea to have a pocket umbrella - and never catastrophic if you don't. There are bits of the Seine and Thames river systems where heavy rain can cause floods for a few days - but not central Paris or London.

Only wimps let weather forecasts round here, especially in the spring, influence anything except their choice of clothing. You've not come for sunbathing or skiiing - so what possible difference can a few drops of rain make to your plans?

It sounds like raincoats are in order.....got my pocket umbrella and next the raincoat. Do most of the people wear them even if it is cloudy and looks like rain?? Raincoat will take up room in suitcase that I did not figure in.

The most reliable Paris phone app is Météo Paris if you have an iPhone.

Flanneruk, a few drops of rain will absolutely not affect my plans; sorry if I implied that. I thought I was asking if I should expect a few drops or all day downpours as the forecasts that I've been receiving have indicated. And if there are all day downpours, we will deal with that and have good times.

Thanks, All, and again, happy travels to others who are going to Paris this coming week.

I was in Paris many years ago in April and it rained a lot. We only missed sitting outdoors in cafes. We chose to think of it as romantic. Have a wonderful wonderful time.

So, quick, before I dress for departure and finalize packing, what's it really like in Paris today?! :-)

It's quite cool. I'm wearing layers, but wish I had warmer clothing. No rain today, but gray.

Grand mere,
Have a good flight over and I hope that you keep us posted on the daily weather in Paris as I am in a dilemma as to what I should pack for next week's trip.

I've been keeping track of the weather forecast, but would like to hear from those that are in Paris. Is it really very cold? I'm packing for next Saturday and still unsure as what to take.

It's beginning to warm up in the afternoons -- and it will be quite warm around the end of the week.

The rain has diminished considerably.

Thanks! I´ll keep tracking the weather and hoping for warm temperatures and sunny days!

Yes - please keep us posted!

I leave the week of the 21st for Paris for 5 days. I am thinking of packing long sleeve t-shirts and bringing a trench coat.

What about shoes, though? Can I wear my ballet flats and pretend to be fashionable? Or is it too cold for that, in which case I will wear my converse.

It is no longer cold.

It was supposed to rain most of the day today and the rare sprinkles did not even manage to wet the sidewalk.

Thanks Kerouac! I'm in Paris now and the weather is just like you said, although I did find the wind a little cool - but as I have a windbreaker it's ok!
I felt sorry for Mr. Hollande, who endured the Champs Elysèes' journey with a very annoying rain. But afterwards it was sunny, very good!

It's all so weird this year.

Who could have imagined 27 C here in central Canada in March? Heading to 27 C again this weekend.

I'll pay for this, no doubt, when we get to Paris at the end of September.

Hope it clears or at least brightens for others, in the short term

The weather was indeed absolutely horrible yesterday.

http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...&page=1#135639