Nantes, the largest city of western France, sits on the Loire about 50 km inland from the Atlantic coast, on low ground in the historic region of Brittany at approximately 47.22°N, 1.55°W. Its Atlantic-facing position gives it a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — mild, changeable and moderated by the ocean — with warm summers, notably mild winters and rain spread through the year.

Summer, from June to August, is warm and pleasant, with July and August the warmest months — average highs around 25–26°C — and occasional heatwaves that can exceed 35°C. It is the driest and sunniest season, with showers less frequent than in winter, though Atlantic fronts keep it changeable; the ocean keeps the heat from becoming oppressive.

Winter, from December to February, is mild and damp, among the mildest in France thanks to the Atlantic, with January the coolest month — average highs around 9–10°C and lows near 3–4°C. Frost occurs on clear nights, but snow is rare and rarely lies; the season is more often grey, wet and windy than cold, with frequent Atlantic depressions bringing rain.

Nantes receives around 800–830 mm of rain a year, spread through every month with an autumn and winter maximum and a drier summer; rain is usually light and frequent rather than heavy, and the mild, damp Atlantic air keeps the region green. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Nantes enjoys the mild, damp, changeable weather of France's Atlantic west, where the ocean tempers both winter cold and summer heat and keeps the countryside green. Autumn and winter gales sweeping in off the Bay of Biscay are a hallmark of the season, and the Loire estuary funnels those Atlantic winds inland toward the city.

To follow any single measurement in Nantes 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.