Marseille climate
Marseille (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France) has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa). The average temperature over the year is 16 °C61 °F, and about 557 mm22 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Marseille climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1152 | 338 | 745 | 481.9 |
| Feb | 1254 | 337 | 846 | 381.5 |
| Mar | 1661 | 642 | 1151 | 401.6 |
| Apr | 2067 | 948 | 1458 | 471.9 |
| May | 2475 | 1355 | 1865 | 471.9 |
| Jun | 3086 | 1763 | 2475 | 291.1 |
| Jul | 3392 | 2068 | 2780 | 130.5 |
| Aug | 3290 | 2067 | 2679 | 210.8 |
| Sep | 2781 | 1660 | 2171 | 502.0 |
| Oct | 2272 | 1254 | 1763 | 753.0 |
| Nov | 1661 | 745 | 1253 | 943.7 |
| Dec | 1254 | 439 | 846 | 542.1 |
| Year | 3392 | 337 | 1661 | 55722 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84% | 59% | 1.8 | 9:18 |
| Feb | 81% | 54% | 2.8 | 10:27 |
| Mar | 76% | 53% | 4.1 | 11:48 |
| Apr | 71% | 52% | 5.4 | 13:21 |
| May | 66% | 51% | 6.4 | 14:40 |
| Jun | 58% | 39% | 7.4 | 15:23 |
| Jul | 51% | 28% | 7.4 | 15:05 |
| Aug | 53% | 33% | 6.4 | 13:57 |
| Sep | 63% | 41% | 4.8 | 12:26 |
| Oct | 75% | 54% | 3.1 | 10:56 |
| Nov | 82% | 58% | 2.0 | 9:38 |
| Dec | 84% | 56% | 1.6 | 8:59 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Marseille is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 20 °C68 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 11 °C52 °F and lows 3 °C38 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 19.3 °C34.8 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 557 mm22 in. The wettest three-month stretch is October–December, which brings 40% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: July. The wettest month is November (94 mm3.7 in), the driest is July (13 mm0.5 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 51% in July to 84% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 28%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 10 km/h (6 mph) in December to 12 km/h (7 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 9.0 hours in December to 15.4 hours in June.
Best time to visit Marseille
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–June and September and October. Average highs then reach 20 °C67 °F to 30 °C86 °F. Precipitation is 29 mm1.1 in to 75 mm3.0 in per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 11 °C52 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Marseille
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1152 to 12 °C54 °F, lows 337 to 4 °C39 °F, about 47 mm1.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1661 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 642 to 13 °C55 °F, about 45 mm1.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3086 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 1763 to 20 °C68 °F, about 21 mm0.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1661 to 27 °C81 °F, lows 745 to 16 °C60 °F, about 73 mm2.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
How Marseille compares
The nearest larger place is Barcelona, about 339 km to the southwest. Compared with it, Marseille is on average 1.3 °C2.4 °F cooler. It receives 7% more precipitation (557 mm22 in vs 519 mm20 in). The difference is largest in February (2.3 °C4.1 °F cooler).
World Climates covers 36 places in France. By annual mean temperature, Marseille is the 4th warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 36th wettest. See all of them on the France climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Saïda (Algeria, Csa), Livorno (Italy, Csa) and Lleida (Spain, BSk).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Aix-en-Provence (pop. 146,821). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Marseille, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Climate in Toulon 48 km · 16 °C62 °F · 561 mm22 in
- Climate in Nîmes 102 km · 15 °C58 °F · 740 mm29 in
- Climate in Montpellier 126 km · 15 °C60 °F · 575 mm23 in
- Climate in Nice 159 km · 17 °C63 °F · 682 mm27 in
- Climate in Grenoble 211 km · 13 °C56 °F · 857 mm34 in
- Climate in Perpignan 213 km · 16 °C61 °F · 583 mm23 in
- Climate in Saint-Étienne 250 km · 11 °C51 °F · 695 mm27 in
- Climate in Girona 255 km · 16 °C61 °F · 649 mm26 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Marseille?
July is the warmest month in Marseille. Its average high is 33 °C (92 °F) and its average low is 20 °C (68 °F).
What is the coldest month in Marseille?
January is the coldest month. Its average high is 11 °C (52 °F) and its average low is 3 °C (38 °F).
When does it rain the most in Marseille?
November is the wettest month with about 94 mm (3.7 in) of precipitation. July is the driest with about 13 mm (0.5 in).
What is the best time to visit Marseille?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–June and September and October.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station. So they can differ from airport records. The gaps are largest on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 317 m, while Marseille lies at about 28 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.9 °C3.4 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.