"The Eagle's Nest", Mt Lozere,
Cévennes, France.
Weather Data

Eagle's Nest weather report 1995

[cloud in valley]
Weather data has been collected on an almost continuous basis at the Eagle's Nest for several years. Daily rainfall and temperature maxima and minima are recorded manually using a custom-made 'Stevenson screen' located in open ground near the top end of the site. A computerised weather station has also been in use since 1991: comprehensive weather records are available in the centre Resource room. The centre now boasts an updated MJP weather station which records air temperature, rainfall, wind direction, wind speed and gust speed, humidity and air pressure on an hourly basis. A computer-based project within the new 'People, weather and climate' unit is available for this coming season.

You may download the small sized 1995 weather data file below from "The Eagles Nest" in Comma Separated Value (CSV) form, from our downloads page by using this link.

Eagle's Nest weather report 1995
Rainfall
Month (1995)Rainfall Tot(mm)No. Rain DaysWettest 5 (%rainfall)
Jan.---
Feb.129.51380
March87.51377
April1611090
May871084
June274100
July39792
August78.51150
Sept.2501580
Oct.1801470
Nov2421471
Dec.3031773
Average/Total1584.512882

Temperature
Month (1985)Av Max Temp (C)Av Min Temp (C)
Jan.--
Feb.6.8-0.5
March6.8-2
April11.51.8
May14.14.7
June16.49.9
July24.512.6
August21.511
Sept.11.88
Oct.13.38.1
Nov5.30
Dec.3.3-1.2
Average/Total12.34.8
Rainfall over the course of the year, even without January, again exceeded 1500mm. Fortunately the bulk of this fell outside the field studies season - with late autumn being particularly wet. Early snows arrived in November, but the expected white Christmas failed to materialise as the latter half of December brought mild (and wet) weather.
Most of the precipitation over the summer arrived, as usual, in the form of heavy convectional storms of limited duration. As in previous years, the wettest 5 days accounted on average for over 80% of total monthly precipitation: this figure rises to 91% for the three summer months of June, July and August.

[ chart 1 ]
As for temperatures: prolonged hot and dry conditions in early summer (only 27mm of rainfall in June and 39mm in July, with maximum temperatures around 30°ree;C) constituted an effective drought and a period of considerable worry for local farmers. In the winter time, the mountain influence came very much to the fore: notice the sub-zero average minimum for February.

The temperature/rainfall chart for 1995 should have a familiar look for students of climatic type. Notice the summer drought and wet spring and autumn; the mild temperatures either side of a hot summer. This Mediterranean pattern is modified, particularly in winter, by the centre's mountain location (altitude 1312m).
[ chart 2 ]
Finally, a short note about January/February 1996. We are reliably informed by the locals that this has been the harshest winter for at least 10 years. Temperatures have rarely crept above 0°ree; Celsius, and have plummeted as low as -15°ree;C. These lower than normal temperatures have combined with fierce wind chill to produce an Arctic-like climate. On the plateau on Mont Lozere, several metres of snow have fallen, producing the best skiing conditions for many seasons - for those hardy enough to brave the elements...
This a link to the Royal Meteorological Society pages.