Does It Rain A Lot In Corsica?

Corsica, the French Mediterranean island with more than 1,000 km of coastline and a mountainous interior that rises to Monte Cinto at 2,706 m, has a Mediterranean climate: a hot, dry summer and a mild, wet winter. The short answer to the rainfall question is that rain concentrates in a small number of months, above all October and November, while July brings Ajaccio an average of just 8.6 mm. The Météo-France station normals for the 1991-2020 period, recorded at Ajaccio Campo dell'Oro and at Bastia, give the full picture month by month, and this page sets them out.

No, not for most of the year. Ajaccio averages 635.0 mm of rain across the year and Bastia 816.9 mm, and both stations show the rain packed into autumn and winter: November averages 111.8 mm at Ajaccio and 134.3 mm at Bastia, while July averages 8.6 mm and 13.8 mm respectively. Summer is dry, spring sits between the two, and snow falls on the high mountains rather than on the coast.

Those figures are station means, recomputed from the Météo-France monthly climatological file for 1991-2020, so they describe the average year rather than any single one. A given November can deliver more or less than 111.8 mm at Ajaccio, and short, heavy downpours are a feature of Mediterranean autumn weather even in months whose total looks modest. What the normals do establish is the shape of the year: a long dry stretch from June to August, a transition in September, and the bulk of the rainfall from October through to February. Coastal towns such as Ajaccio and Bastia rarely see freezing temperatures, with January mean minimums of 4.7 °C and 5.4 °C, so winter rain in the towns generally stays rain. The high mountains are a different matter and take the snow.

For planning purposes, the contrast between the two coasts matters as much as the calendar. Bastia, on the east side of the island's north, collects more rain than Ajaccio in every single month of the normals, and its annual total of 816.9 mm is higher than Ajaccio's 635.0 mm. Neither figure makes Corsica a rainy destination by Atlantic or northern European standards; both make November the month to pack for showers.

How Much Rain Does Corsica Get Each Month?

At Ajaccio the monthly rainfall averages, in millimetres, run 54.1 in January, 48.1 in February, 50.4 in March, 53.1 in April, 49.8 in May, 25.9 in June, 8.6 in July, 15.8 in August, 57.8 in September, 85.7 in October, 111.8 in November and 73.9 in December. November therefore carries the largest total and July the smallest on the Ajaccio record, and the annual sum is 635.0 mm.

Bastia's record follows the same rhythm at a higher level. The table below sets the two stations side by side, with the sunshine hours per day that come from the same normals. Reading the two rows together gives a fair picture of any month: July pairs the smallest rainfall figure at both stations with the longest sunshine days of the year at Ajaccio, 12 h 3 min, while November pairs its large rainfall totals with 4.67 sunshine hours per day at Ajaccio and 4.5 at Bastia.

One nuance worth flagging: September's average at Ajaccio, 57.8 mm, is close to January's, which surprises visitors who think of early autumn as still summery. The first heavy autumn rains typically arrive in that month, and October more than doubles the September figure at both stations. If a trip falls in the second half of September, the odds of at least one wet day are materially higher than in July or August, even though the mean daily maximum stays at 26.1 °C at Ajaccio.

When Does The Rainy Season Start And End In Corsica?

The rainy season in Corsica runs broadly from October to February, with November carrying the largest monthly totals in the record: 111.8 mm at Ajaccio and 134.3 mm at Bastia. By June the figures fall to 25.9 mm and 38.8 mm, and July and August are the dry core of the year at 8.6 to 21.1 mm per month. March, April and May hold steady near 50 mm at Ajaccio.

The transition is not a switch but a slope. September's 57.8 mm at Ajaccio already sits above every winter month except October, November and December, while May's 49.8 mm is no higher than January's 54.1 mm. What changes across spring is not the total rainfall so much as the temperature around it: mean daily maximums climb from 14.0 °C in January to 22.1 °C in May at Ajaccio, so a spring shower arrives in warm air and the sun hours per day rise from 4.4 to 9.3. Daylight follows the same curve, from 9 h 31 min in January to 15 h 11 min in June at Ajaccio, which is astronomical data rather than weather, and therefore reliable in any year.

For hikers, the calendar and the mountain rules interact. The GR20 refuge season runs from 16 May to 4 October, which maps almost exactly onto the drier half of the station record, and from 15 June to 30 September fires and smoking are forbidden in forests, maquis and massifs. Snow in the high mountains is a winter and early-spring condition; the PNRC page lists the refuge season precisely because the high route is not a year-round walk. More detail on the trail itself is in the GR20 difficulty answer.

Does Rain Affect Boat Trips And Beach Days In Corsica?

In July and August, barely: Ajaccio averages 8.6 mm and 15.8 mm of rain in those months, so a beach or boat day is far more likely to be dry than wet on the averages. In October and November the position reverses, with 85.7 mm and 111.8 mm at Ajaccio, and sea conditions, not just rain, become the factor that decides whether a boat trip sails.

Corsica is a sea-surrounded island and boats are a core way to see it, from the Îles Sanguinaires off Ajaccio to the Scandola reserve and the Îles Lavezzi. Operators run to the weather and the sea state, and autumn storms occasionally keep boats in port even on a day without rain. In the summer months the averages suggest the opposite problem is more real: July's 12.1 sunshine hours per day at Ajaccio and a mean maximum of 28.6 °C make sun protection and water the planning issue. Swimmers planning an autumn trip can read the rainfall and air-temperature picture in the October swimming answer.

A wet-weather note that is specific to this island: heavy rain in the mountains changes conditions on the trails and in the gorges quickly, even when the coast is only overcast. The Restonica valley, the Gorges de Spelunca and the Aiguilles de Bavella all sit inland, where the terrain funnels runoff. Checking the daily massif access map that the prefecture systems publish, updated at 18:00 for the next day, is the standing advice during the 15 June to 30 September fire-risk window, and Inforoutes Corse publishes live road conditions for the mountain passes year round.

Which Part Of Corsica Gets More Rain, Ajaccio Or Bastia?

Bastia receives more rain than Ajaccio in every month of the Météo-France 1991-2020 normals: 816.9 mm across the year against Ajaccio's 635.0 mm. The gap is at its largest in October, 126.5 mm at Bastia against 85.7 mm at Ajaccio, and never disappears entirely, not even in July, when the stations record 13.8 mm and 8.6 mm.

Two stations cannot describe every microclimate on an island whose interior rises to Monte Cinto at 2,706 m, and the mountains collect more precipitation than either coastal plain, arriving as snow in winter. But for the two towns where visitors most often base themselves, the pattern holds: the east-facing Bastia record runs wetter, both towns share the same dry midsummer, and neither town's normals suggest rain will dominate a summer visit. Choosing between them is a question of itinerary rather than weather, and the is Corsica worth visiting page covers what each base offers.

What Should You Pack For Corsica Rain?

Pack for rain in Corsica only if the trip falls between October and April: those months average 50 mm or more each at Ajaccio, peaking at 111.8 mm in November. From June to September the averages run 8.6 mm to 57.8 mm, and a light layer plus sun protection serves better than a rain jacket, with mean daily highs of 25.9 °C to 29.2 °C from June to August.

The practical split looks like this. In the dry core of summer, rain gear is a weight rather than a need, though the mountains cool fast at altitude and the GR20's stages cross ground far above the coastal stations' temperatures. In the shoulder months of May, June and September, a packable waterproof covers the occasional shower without dominating the bag. From October to March, waterproofs and a warm layer earn their place, and anyone heading into the interior in winter should plan for snow on the high ground rather than rain. The full planning picture, including what rain means for the calendar, is in the best month to visit Corsica answer, and this Corsica Travel Guide carries a weather-by-month guide alongside it.

For bookable days out, weather flexibility matters more than weather proofing. The small-group sea trip from the Golfe de Porto that loops through Scandola and Girolata with a stop ashore runs on the sea state, and bookings can be moved when a front passes through, so Check availability for the days either side of a wet forecast rather than committing to one date. The same logic applies to the Cap Corse and Désert des Agriates half-day trip and to the Napoleon Cave visit with its Corsican meal, both of which sit partly indoors or under cover.

Common Questions About Rain In Corsica

Does It Rain A Lot In Corsica?

No, not across most of the year. Ajaccio averages 635.0 mm of rain annually and Bastia 816.9 mm, with the rain concentrated from October to February. July averages just 8.6 mm at Ajaccio and 13.8 mm at Bastia, and August only 15.8 mm and 21.1 mm.

What Is The Rainiest Month In Corsica?

November carries the largest monthly totals in the Météo-France 1991-2020 normals: 111.8 mm at Ajaccio and 134.3 mm at Bastia. October is next, at 85.7 mm and 126.5 mm respectively.

Does It Rain In Corsica In Summer?

Rarely on the averages. July records 8.6 mm at Ajaccio and 13.8 mm at Bastia, and August 15.8 mm and 21.1 mm. Summer rain, when it comes, usually arrives as short heavy showers rather than long steady falls.

Does It Snow In Corsica?

Snow falls on the high mountains, not on the coast. Monte Cinto reaches 2,706 m, and the winter and spring high route holds snow well into the year, which is why the GR20 refuges are guarded only from 16 May to 4 October.

Is Bastia Wetter Than Ajaccio?

On the station normals, yes: Bastia records more rain than Ajaccio in every month of the year, 816.9 mm against 635.0 mm annually. Both share the same dry midsummer, so the difference matters mainly from October to April.