The climate is of Mediterranean type characterised by the mildness of all the seasons. However, year on year variations can be important. For example, the maximum temperature recorded in the past twenty years was 42.5°C in July 1982 and the minimum was -12.5°C in January, 1985.

Rain in the summer is very rare and tends to result from occasional storm activity which is very localised. When it does rain, it arrives in very large doses in a very short period of time. The storms are so localised that you can sometimes see them pasing by and the rain can fall on the next village without falling here. In any case, they are usually over in an hour or so and Le Théron is on a hill side so we never get flooded which cannot be said for all the neighbouring villages.

The prevailing winds in this area are the "Tramontane" and the "Marin". The Tramontane comes from the north-west and brings a welcome cool, dry breeze in the summer. The Marin comes from the south-east and is warmer and more humid, and rather more rare. (We are over a 100 miles away from the very cold Mistral coming down the Rhone valley.)

In winter, snow is expected roughly once every five or six years. Our last fall was of about 15cms some six years' ago and it lasted for about three or four days. If you are seeking the snow, skiing is available from December to April in the nearby Pyrenees, about 2 hours' drive away.

A whole day without sunshine is very rare even in winter. Visitors are even able to lunch outside in the sunshine in the sheltered garden of The Cottage on many days over the Christmas and New Year's holiday period.

We provide below an indication of the average monthly temperatures and rainfalls over the past 20 years.

And especially for those of you who are more comfortable with and accustomed to Fahrenheit temperatures and rain in inches: