About
Normandy is a French region on the west coast of France, divided into two smaller regions, those being Haute-Normandie (Upper Normandy) and Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy.)
Normandy plays host to rolling green countrysideâs on which you will find grazing dairy cattle and picturesque apple orchards. The luscious countryside is aided by the year round steady rainfall and lack of temperature extremes. The climate in the region can be more specifically classified as maritime, maritime climates experience generally cool summers and mild winters, and generally see a small annual temperature range.
Haute- Normandie
Starting in the north in Haute- Normandie you will find the
coastal town of Dieppe,
which is a beautiful French port that is kept busy by the ferries to and from
Newhaven in the UK.
The town has a fairly typical temperate maritime climate, mild winters, warm
summers and is generally a few degrees warmer than the nearby southern coast of
the United Kingdom.
The spring and autumn are usually fairy mild although there can be the sporadic
shows. Winters can get cold but are still pretty mild.
Moving west along the coast, you will reach Le Havre which is a town of almost 200, 000 people situated on the right bank of the mouth of the Seine River. Le Havre sees weather conditions very similar to that witnessed in Dieppe. The summer months of June to August see average highs of 16 to 18 degrees, and average minimums of 12 to 15 degrees. January and February see the city at its coolest, experience an average high of 7 degrees and average low of 3 degrees.
Moving inland you will reach the regions capital city â" Rouen. Once one of the most powerful towns in medieval Europe, lying upon the River Seine an hour and a half north west of Paris, Rouen is embedded with hundreds of years of history- it was in Rouen in 1431 that Joan of Arc was burnt to death.
Rouen can get slightly colder than other parts of France, due primarily to its northerly location. Summers are warm, with July and August being the hottest months seeing average daily temps of 17 and 18 degrees respectively. Winter can get quite chilly but not unpleasant, witnessing an average temperature of 8 degrees Celsius throughout the season.
As you head along the Siene through the picturesque Eure countryside you will reach numerous quaint French towns such as vreux, Louviers and Les Andelys. The Eure department is a wooded plateau that is cut by the valleys of the Seine River and witnesses an enjoyable mild climate, with average temperatures remaining around 17C from June until late August, which is ideal for cycling.
Like much of France, Spring is one of the best times to visit Eure. If you head into Giverny you can see Monetâs garden in full blossom, an amazing sight.