August Weather in Paris: Average Temperatures, Humidity, & Rainfall

Paris is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is famous for its grand monuments, including the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. Paris has the fourth-greatest population of any city in the European Union and the highest GDP of any European Union City. Residents and visitors to Paris find no shortage of incredible sights to see, food to taste, and culture to experience. Another factor that makes Paris such a beautiful city is that its climate is mild year-round. Paris has an oceanic climate according to the Köppen climate classification system. This is the same climate as most of Western Europe. However, the city of Paris has a bit more rainfall than the typical oceanic climate, making it especially green and lush. This article explores August weather in Paris, including average temperatures, record temperatures, average rainfall, and potential natural disasters.

Paris is the capital city of France and the most populous city there. Since the country of France is in the Northern Hemisphere, August is a summer month there. Summers in Paris are warm, fairly sunny, and occasionally rainy. Let’s explore August weather in Paris in detail.

Average Temperatures

The weather in Paris is mild year-round, and the month of August is typically warm and sunny. In August, the average high is 78.1°F (25.6 °C). The average low is 60.8 °F (16.0 °C). The daily mean temperature in August in Paris is 69.4 °F (20.8 °C). August is the height of the tourist season in Paris, and the pleasant average temperatures make it a perfect month to visit.

Record High and Low Temperatures

Paris occasionally has extreme heat events. For example, during the 2003 European heat wave, Paris had a record high temperature of 103.1 °F (39.5 °C). That’s an incredible 25 °F hotter than the average high for August in Paris.

The record low for August weather in Paris is 43.3 °F (6.3 °C). Compared to the average low of 60.8 °F (16.0 °C), the record is 17.5 °F lower. The record low in August of 43.3 °F (6.3 °C) is far closer to the average low in November, which is 43.2 °F (6.2 °C).

Average Rainfall and Humidity

Paris gets 24.97 inches (634.3 millimeters) of rain per year on average. The wettest month of the year is December, with 2.44 inches (62 millimeters) of rain and 11.4 rainy days. However, the summer months are also wet. In August, Paris gets 2.28 inches (58 millimeters) of rain on average. There are typically 8.1 rainy days in August.

The weather in Paris is fairly humid year-round. August in Paris has a relative humidity of 71% on average. Relative humidity measures how much moisture is in the air in relation to the air temperature. Warm air is able to hold more moisture than cold air. The humidity in August in Paris is typically three percent higher than the humidity in June, which is 68% on average. However, it is five percent higher than the average humidity in September, which is 76%. As summer turns to fall in Paris, temperatures cool and humidity increases.

Natural Disasters

In the summer, Paris can experience heat waves, droughts, and wildfire. The 2003 European heat wave remains one of the deadliest natural disasters in France’s history. There were 14,802 heat-related deaths in France during the heat wave. Part of the reason why this heat wave was so deadly is that temperatures remained high overnight, so people and buildings did not have a chance to cool off overnight. At the time of the heat wave, air conditioning was less common in Paris because it was often not necessary. After the 2003 heat wave, France created the Météo-France heat alert system to warn citizens about extreme heat events. This alert system was used during the heat wave of June 2022, which broke temperature records in France.

Another potential danger of August weather in Paris is wildfire, particularly wildfire smoke. In 2009, fires broke out all over the Mediterranean region, including France. These fires spread rapidly due to hot and dry conditions. Air quality across Europe was impacted. In August 2021, fires broke out in southeastern France and smoke filled the air.

Drought is another potential danger during August in Paris. In the summer of 2022, the Loire River nearly dried up due to extreme drought. The Loire River is the longest river in France.

Paris is also vulnerable to floods and landslides, but these natural disasters typically occur in winter.