The weather, which after all is one of the reasons we are here in La Belle France, presents many variations which are so different to British weather. One thinks of the South of France as being all about sun, sea and sand - which it often is.....

Collioure

Collioure, an important harbour in Roman times, is known for its beautiful weather and the clarity of its atmosphere - which was what brought the Fauvists here. However when an easterly gale blows things are very different. Note the upside-down boat in the harbour in the right picture.   Bruce Hyde

The River Tech

When it rains it certainly rains. With an intensity little known in England. Sometimes even the rivers, which are well adapted to flood conditions, can be overwhelmed.  The pictures above were taken before and after a major winter storm in 2011 during which the river level in Le Boulou, a few kilometres upstream, rose over 6 metres above normal. Both pictures were taken from the same place (note the Canigou peeping over the skyline in the background).  


There is a stream running from Pic Neolous down to the Tech which suffered dramatic and drastic flooding during the same storm - follow this link to see a video.
Bruce Hyde

Le Racou

An easterly storm in January 2009 caused sand to be swept inland to cover the car park at Le Racou beach to a depth of around 1 metre, judging by the concrete base of the light. It got cleared away in March - you can see the heavy equipment used to clear the sand in the background.    Bruce Hyde

Les Albères

For many, winter in the Pyrenees is synonymous with snow and skiing. But because Les Albères are at the easternmost end, sweeping down to the Mediterranean, any snow here rarely extends far below the ridgeline. In 2010, however, in early March, (a month that can often have you reaching for a pair of shorts), 50cm+ fell in about 12 hours - down to village level. Lesley McLaren

The Tramontane (or Tramontana)

The bitterly cold wind which blows down from the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean often brings clear skies and strange-shaped clouds, especially near the mountains, where lenticular clouds sometimes form.  It can strike at any time of year, and its chilly gusts (reaching over 100kph at times) seem to penetrate everything, from the densest forest to the interiors of our homes, where it can give us all a terrible fright as a door suddenly and unexpectedly slams shut.  Much is said of the "Tram": how it always blows for an odd number of days (one, three, five etc.) for example.  Its effect on the human population is also much discussed, although it has never, as far as we know, been used as a mitigating circumstance in a court of law, like its more famous cousin blowing down from the Alps, the Mistral.  However the Tramontane's merciless sweeping and scouring of the valleys and Roussillon plain also has its advantages: it clears away drizzly weather, low clouds and persistent haze or mist, so it can be a boon for photographers, artists and other lovers of these dramatic landscapes, when viewed from the relative safety of a car or house!  Isobel Mackintosh

Trees bend and strain as the Tramontane gusts, and twigs and smaller branches can snap and be carried away.  But the clear blue sky visible over the Albères (above) makes for a stunning background.

Dramatic lenticular clouds, formed by the Tramontane, are lit by the setting sun, long after drivers have turned on their headlights

The Tramontane works its magic on the choppy, sunlit sea beyond Collioure. A spectacle to be watched from a safe distance on dry land, hence the lack of boats among the "white horses" in what are normally quite crowded waters.

More weather & skies photographs: 
Clouds above the Mediterranean Pyrenees by Isobel
The summer of 2015 by Isobel