Lyon, France's second-largest metropolitan area, sits at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers in east-central France, between the Massif Central and the Alps at approximately 45.76°N, 4.84°E. It has a semi-continental climate with a distinct Mediterranean influence reaching up the Rhône valley — giving it colder winters and hotter summers than oceanic Paris, with a wide daily temperature range and a tendency to fog in the low-lying valley.

Summer, from June to August, is warm to hot, sunny and fairly dry, with July the warmest month — average highs around 27–28°C — and a large day-to-night swing that can exceed 15°C thanks to the sheltered inland setting. Mediterranean influence up the Rhône valley brings plenty of sunshine, and heatwaves have pushed temperatures past 40°C, though these hot spells are often broken by sharp evening thunderstorms.

Winter, from December to February, is cold, grey and often foggy, with January the coldest month — average highs around 6–47°C and frequent frost. The valley setting traps cold, damp air, so freezing fog and rime ice form more readily than heavy snow, and long dull spells are common. Genuine cold snaps can arrive when the bise, a cold northerly-easterly wind, funnels down the valley.

Lyon receives moderate, fairly evenly distributed precipitation of around 800–830 mm a year, with a slight peak in spring — May is often the wettest month — and again from autumn storms, while mid-summer is relatively drier apart from thunderstorms. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Lyon's climate is a meeting point: continental cold from the north and east, Mediterranean warmth funnelling up the Rhône corridor from the south. That corridor also channels two winds — the cold northerly bise and the warmer southerly flow — while the low, river-threaded site makes the city notably prone to winter fog and to large contrasts between hot days and cool nights in summer.

To follow any single measurement in Lyon more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.