The Dordogne department (the boundaries are almost those of the Perigord) has a surface area of 9200km2, third department in size in France behind Gironde and Landes. Dordogne is firmly in the south west quarter of France. It is a region of transition between the Massif Central and the Aquitaine basin towards which all its rivers flow. The department takes its name from the river Dordogne which flows across it from east to west.
Climate: The climate in Dordogne is both varied, agreeable and tonifying. It is in between the maritime influence of Aquitaine and the continental climate of the hills of the Massif Central. The milder winters and moderate summer temperatures characterise a temperate climate throughout Perigord.
The Dordogne has an annual average rainfall of 860mm, representative of a climate without extremes, comfortably above that of the driest zones in France of under 600mm (the Alsace or Limagne plain or even the Paris basin) and yet well under that of the wetter zones of Cantal, Vosges or Alps with over 2000mm. The disposition of the valleys, forests and lakes all create a range of microclimates within the region.
Rainfall: The annual rainfall is far from uniform. The chief characteristic is the marked difference on either side of a line from South West to North East, closely following a similar line of altitude. Rainfall difference can be almost double between points: from 750mm in the lower Dordogne valley at Lamothe-Montravel to 1160mm at Piegut Pluviers in the Nontron area. The distribution of rainfall in autumn, winter and spring also follow this altitude line; however in summer precipitation increases from west to east with maxima in Perigord Noir and in the Nontronnais.
In Bergerac it rains on average 112 days of the year. Sometimes thunderstorms can bring massive downpours, such as the 100mm reached on 17 May 1971 in Bergerac.
Temperatures: Annual average temperatures are higher in the South West than in the North East of the department. Temperatures decrease from an average 12.5C in the Bergerac area to 10.5C in the east Nontron region as the altitude increases.
The annual number of days with over 30C varies from under 10 in the east Nontron region to over 20 in the Dordogne valley and downstream of Perigueux in the valley of the Isle. The lower reaches of the Dordogne valley see the hottest temperatures. Around Bergerac the temperature reaches or surpasses 30C on average 8 times a month during July and August! The previous record was 42 in Bergerac on 12 July 1949. More recently 40.2C was recorded at Port Ste Foy on 8 july 1982, but these were overtaken by the 45C recorded in Perigueux during the summer of 2003!
Highest temperatures are found in the valleys. Annual average maxima increase from 15C on the border with Haute-Vienne to over 18C at the western end of the Isle and Dordogne valleys.
Minimum temperatures are slightly higher on the plateaus. The coldest temperatures in 1970 – 1990 were those of January 1985 and February 1987 (the record for Bergerac being -21C on 17 January 1987). Annual average minima are fairly uniform, generally a little lower in the valleys than higher up and range from 0.5C to 2.5C. Generally the first frosts do not appear before 21st October. Areas with earliest frosts are those narrow valleys of the centre and East of the department. The wider valleys and lower heights normally follow about 8 -15 days later. The highest areas usually have their first frosts about the 11 November, so the delay between earliest and latest areas is about 20 days. Late spring frosts follow roughly the same distribution according to topography. Frosts occur every other year after 16th April in the majority of the valleys and exceptionally up to 1st May. Property on the heights in the Sarlat region frosts after 1st April are rare. The range between dates of last frosts is about 3 weeks from deep valleys to the heights. The greatest range of temperatures in Dordogne is therefore found in the valleys.
Sunshine: Annual sunshine hours range from 1900 to 2000 annually from the north to the south of the Dordogne. At Bergerac the year with the least sunshine during the last ten years was 1992 with 1710 hours, and that with the most was 1989 with 2300 hours.
Winter sunshine levels are higher in the Sarlat area than around Riberac because of the continental weather influence in the east, and the maritime influence in the west which although milder brings more mists and cloud cover.
In spring, summer and autumn the South west of the department enjoys a higher number of sunshine hours than the rest of the department.
Summary
Summer rainfall increases from west to east.
Temperature extremes increase from east to west.
Highest and lowest temperatures occur in the valleys.
Late and early frosts occur mostly in the valleys.
Sunshine hours generally increase from west to east.
The North east area has the most temperate climate of the Dordogne.
