In France, some places in the country are rainier than others, but one city in particular stands out for its bad weather. So much so that it rains the equivalent of every other day.
On average, there are around 106 to 108 days of rain per year in mainland France, according to data compiled by Météo-France in its national study on Climatological Normals. However, this figure hides enormous disparities depending on the region. You can go from single to triple depending on whether you are on the Côte d’Azur – the area with the least “watering” in terms of frequency – or at the tip of Brittany… In detail, certain towns are particularly rainy. Which one holds the prize for the worst?
When we think of rain in France, we often think directly of the North or Brittany. And rightly so! If we only take cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, then the one which has the record for the number of rainy days per year is Brest (in Finistère) with 155 to 160 days per year on average. Here, the rains are frequent but often fine, it is the famous Breton drizzle… But, if we look more precisely at the whole of France, it is a very small town which is by far the most rained each year.
And she is also in Brittany. His name? This is Brennilis. A tiny town located in the Monts d’Arrée, in Finistère, which has less than 500 inhabitants. We know it for its old nuclear power plant but also for its unenviable weather. In fact, according to official data, it accumulates 172 to 175 days of rain per year! Which means that it rains there about every other day. You might as well bring a good umbrella.
However, if Brennilis stands out in terms of the number of days, it is not the city where the most water falls in volume. If we look at the quantity record then this title goes to Biarritz, the essential seaside town on the Basque coast, located in the South-West of France. It displays an approximate score of around 1,450 mm of rain per year. Météo-France. Its historic record, with more than 1,900 mm recorded, dates back to 2013.
Among the other large cities in the country that are often in the rain, we can also cite the towns of Besançon (in Doubs) with around 140 days of rain per year as well as Limoges (in Haute-Vienne) with around 135 days per year. Enough to twist the necks of legends about the North!
