| Most of Provence has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers, an abundance of sunshine and mild winters with little snow. However, Provence is made up of five regions or ‘departments’ and each one of these has its own microclimate. Another feature of the entire area are the ‘winds of Provence’, or ‘mistral’, a cold, dry wind that blows down the Rhone Valley and can often reach over 100 kilometres an hour. Bouches-du-Rhône Marsille, the capital of this department, has a minimum temperature in the winter of 2°C while the maximum in summer is 29°C. Marseille has a maximum of 59 days rainfall a year but when it does rain it is often torrential. The mistral blows on average 100 days a year meaning some of the winter months can be fairly miserable. The Var The climate in this department is slightly warmer but the mistral wind blows on average 118 days a year with the strongest wind recorded in Toulon at 130 kilometres an hour. Toulon is the sunniest city in France with 2,899 hours of sunshine a year. The hot temperatures and abundance of sunshine makes this department a tourist trap so perhaps a Provence property for hire here is your best bet. Alpes-Maritime This department is sheltered by the Alps, meaning the winds are usually gentle. Sometimes in summer the ‘scirocco’ brings high temperatures and reddish desert sand from Africa. Nice, the main city in this department, has a minimum temperature of 6°C and a maximum temperature of 28°C. Alpes-de-Haute-Provence This department has a Mediterranean climate in the lower valleys and an alpine climate in the high valleys. Haute-Provence has unusually high summer temperatures but the lower valleys have 50 days of freezing weather a year and the temperatures in the high valleys can reach -30 °C. It’s not unusual for snow to fall in the mountains from November to May. If it is variety you are looking for from your Provence property then Haute-Provence is for you. The Vaucluse The Valcluse has a Mediterranean climate in the South, an alpine climate in the Northeast, and a continental climate in the Northwest. The close proximity of these three different climates tends to moderate all of them, and the Mediterranean climate usually prevails. Want a Property in Provence? Call HomeHunts Click here to view our full range properties in Provence Here at HomeHunts, you can find a great range of property in Provence. With so much choice, you are sure to find your next property here. | 
