Is this a bad year?

[Inquisitive]

My husband moved out to Dept 46 in January this year (far too early in the year I know) and I am due to join him in the next month or so.  Just wondering if someone can offer some perspective, as he is already extremely disappointed with the weather.  Was the winter longer than normal - as it definitely has been in England? Have the temperatures since then been pretty average, or cooler than normal? He has also just experienced his first really heavy storm which cut our power for over 18 hours.  He is being told that this happens really quite often. Obviously we haven't just made our decisions based on the potential weather, but if he is feeling so disappointed after such a short period of time, I'm just starting to feel slightly nervous that although I may love it, he will wish we'd gone somewhere different. Any comments from those who have been in our area for quite a while would be appreciated.

[Bobc]

"My husband moved out to Dept 46 in January this year (far too early in the year I know) and I am due to join him in the next month or so.  Just wondering if someone can offer some perspective, as he is already extremely disappointed with the weather.  Was the winter longer than normal - as it definitely has been in England? Have the temperatures since then been pretty average, or cooler than normal? He has also just experienced his first really heavy storm which cut our power for over 18 hours.  He is being told that this happens really quite often. Obviously we haven't just made our decisions based on the potential weather, but if he is feeling so disappointed after such a short period of time, I'm just starting to feel slightly nervous that although I may love it, he will wish we'd gone somewhere different. Any comments from those who have been in our area for quite a while would be appreciated."

We live in north 47, but since last October I have been working on a project on the 47/46 border. The past winter has been much warmer and drier than normal. Up to Christmas was mild, (previous Christmas's with the temperature down to -15c) we had a very short cold few days at the end of February and some very heavy rain during the second week in April. Generally the weather this year has been very mild and far drier than normal. Certainly in our area, the agriculteurs are very concerned about the lack of rain.

Thunderstorms are very common in this area of France, although it is very unusual for the electricity to be off for any length of time. Our first July in France we had a violent thunderstorm every day for a two-week period! The following years have been much calmer but when a big storm arrives it is pretty dramatic.

I am not sure what you were expecting with the weather here, but we find it far better than the UK - apart from rain, we can eat outside most evenings from mid-May onwards. Whilst there is plenty of rain, without it you would not have the green countryside and vines which produce the wonderful Cahors wines!

Perhaps you need to give it some time and experience a few seasons.

Kind regards,

Bob Clarke
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/grindoux

 

[Iceni]

We are in the North of 46 near St Céré and it was a long winter - not all cold just long cold spells. We had a warm spell in Feb, another in March which had the locals shaking their heads and saying 'we will pay for this' and so we did - no plums and a very wet late spring. We are fairly high though so we expect cold weather.

I am sitting here with temps over 30 putting up the bug netting over the windows as it is 'that time'. Yes, the winter gets cold, unlike the UK you get seasons. The summer more than makes up for it in my book. I don't know if this makes sense, but we 'left the UK', we did not 'move to France' so do not put much score by the weather, just glad that other things are very very different. Having lived in 3 continents I find the weather in 46 suits me (well so far!) but we have not had the 'golfball' sized hailstones that I gather happen once every 6 to 8 years in our region but have seen cars that have been through one. French neighbour bought widescreen TV and all the electrical gadgets that go with it only to be hit by lightning the next day, we have surge suppressors all over the place but only because we had a hit in the UK that fried a PC hard disk.

I hope that you enjoy France, if you are in the northern part of the Lot, drop me a line and perhaps we can have a chat - not about our experiences so much but just to say hi

pls excuse speeling mistooks but speel chocker no longer seems to work

[Cat]

I'm in 46, not too far from Gourdon, but apparently here we have our own little microclimate, so it is often warmer than the temperatures in other nearby towns, with less rain.

As Iceni has already said, the winter can be very cold at times, with night time temperatures dropping steeply.  Heating of some kind is an absolute must.

Spring can be a bit unpredictable, but the autumns are lovely. Summer comes early, and from late April it is usually possible to eat outside.  Summer is long and hot, typically with a succession of several hot days, each a little warmer than the last, leading to brief but often spectacular thunderstorms, and then the cycle starts again.

As a lot of the power is fed from overhead cables, lightning can often cause the power to fluctuate (brown-out) or cut off completely, but usually only for a minute or two.  In a previous life I used to work in the control room of what used to be the Electricity board, so I'd say that your husband was probably just unlucky to have been without power for so long.  Lightning can cause problems by arcing onto overhead powerlines and causing the high voltage supply to trip out, and it doesn't need to be a direct strike.  Usually the supply is able to restore itself straight away without any human intervention.  It is only if a tree is brought down in the storm, falling across power lines, that the power will be off for a long time. Or if a fuse in a secondary power station or fuse-box blows and cannot be replaced due to a fault on the high voltage system.

Personally I love the thunderstorms, I just unplug the telly, phone and computer and sit back and enjoy the show (even if the roof leaks from time to time - luckily only over the bath - so no bucket required).

I've just checked, and the temperature on my terrace is 33, and that's in the shade!  Not too bad for 5 o'clock

[Ron Avery]

If your husband has been dissapointed by the last two weeks in 46 and 12 perhaps he should try Spain.  The last two winters have been 2003)  very wet and much longerr than normal and 2004) very cold and with abnormal amounts of snow very late in the year, but then again they do ski in 46,  But heh its bloody hot today and set fair and hot for the weekend.

[Bones]

I am amazed at some of the replies regarding last winter!

It was very very cold and very very long. Even taking into account regional variations - I live in 11 - unless you spent half the winter back in the UK (which I hear wasn't much better) you surely must have heard the french media stating that it was the worst winter for thirty or so years. There's no way around that fact.

Your husband was quite right, it's been a stinker of a winter and a crappy spring but it's luverly now and that's all that matters.

I'd just like to add that i should've said that i am amazed at, er, one of the posts regarding the last winter. Ahem.

 

[Anton Redman]

Although we are farther north Bones's description of the winter fits our experience. It started early, had a false spring in February and lasted much longer than normal. We have been coming down to work on the house in February for most years in the last ten and this was the coldest we have known it.