Marseille at a glance
- Best time
- Apr – Oct
- Warmest month
- Jul · 28°
- Warmest sea
- Aug · 22.5°
- Sunshine a year
- 3,130 h
- Rain a year
- 614 mm
- Climate
- Mediterranean
- Time zone
- UTC+1 / UTC+2
- Elevation
- 28 m
Climate in Marseille
Marseille has a Mediterranean climate with warm to hot, dry summers and mild, wetter winters. July is the warmest month with average highs of 28 °C, while January is the coolest at 11 °C. With around 3,130 hours of sunshine a year, Marseille is very sunny; July is the sunniest month with 12.1 hours a day.
Weather in October
Holiday weather in October
Excellent
Best time to visit: April – October
What is the weather like in Marseille in October?
In October, Marseille is mild: daytime highs average 20 °C, and nights cool down to about 14 °C. The sea averages 19.5 °C – bracing, so a wetsuit helps for longer swims. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain falls on about 8 days, adding up to 78 mm. All in all, October is an excellent month for a holiday in Marseille.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 11 h 7 min07:51 – 18:57
- UV index
- 3 · moderateclear sky, noon (estimate)
- Muggy days
- 1 daydew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 20 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 52 %on average
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+2Europe/Paris
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %100 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %70 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %74 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in October
- Wetsuit for longer swims
- Sunscreen
- A jumper for the evenings
Sea temperature in Marseille
Monthly sea surface temperature with the range of cooler and warmer years.
8 in 10 years: 17.8 – 20.8 °C
Swimming season: Jul – Sep
- cold
- fresh
- refreshing
- pleasant
- warm
- very warm
The sea temperature in Marseille ranges from 13.0 °C in February to 22.5 °C in August. It is warm enough for a comfortable swim (20 °C and more) from July to September.
The sea warms up slowly: it is warmest in August, while the air already peaks in July. From November to February the sea is even warmer than the afternoon air. The sea temperature varies from year to year: in August, eight out of ten years were between 21.1 and 24.4 °C.
| Month | Average | Cool year | Warm year | Feels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 13.6° | 12.9° | 14.3° | cold |
| FebruaryFeb | 13.0° | 12.5° | 13.5° | cold |
| MarchMar | 13.3° | 12.6° | 13.9° | cold |
| AprilApr | 14.4° | 13.4° | 15.1° | cold |
| MayMay | 16.6° | 15.7° | 17.6° | cold |
| JuneJun | 19.9° | 18.3° | 21.7° | fresh |
| JulyJul | 21.4° | 19.6° | 23.4° | refreshing |
| AugustAug | 22.5° | 21.1° | 24.4° | refreshing |
| SeptemberSep | 21.3° | 19.7° | 23.1° | refreshing |
| OctoberOct | 19.5° | 17.8° | 20.8° | fresh |
| NovemberNov | 17.1° | 15.9° | 18.1° | fresh |
| DecemberDec | 14.9° | 13.8° | 16.0° | cold |
Sunshine hours in Marseille
Average hours of bright sunshine per day, next to the length of the day. Tap a month to select it.
In October, the sun shines for about 7.2 of 11.1 hours of daylight in Marseille, 65 % of the day.
Sunshine hours count the time with bright, direct sunshine (WMO definition, estimated from model data); daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.
Rain in Marseille: rainy days and rainfall
A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain or snow; the amount is what falls in the whole month. Tap a month to select it.
In October, Marseille has about 8 rainy days with 78 mm of rain in total.
Climate through the year
Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.
Temperatures through the year
Average daytime high, night-time low and sea temperature per month.
| Month | Score | Day | Night | Sea | Sun | Rain days | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 50 | 11° | 6° | 13.6° | 6.0 h | 7 | 51 |
| FebruaryFeb | 60 | 12° | 5° | 13.0° | 7.2 h | 6 | 41 |
| MarchMar | 77 | 15° | 8° | 13.3° | 8.4 h | 6 | 45 |
| AprilApr | 89 | 17° | 10° | 14.4° | 9.0 h | 8 | 58 |
| MayMay | 94 | 21° | 14° | 16.6° | 9.8 h | 7 | 57 |
| JuneJun | 98 | 26° | 18° | 19.9° | 11.4 h | 5 | 31 |
| JulyJul | 93 | 28° | 20° | 21.4° | 12.1 h | 2 | 15 |
| AugustAug | 93 | 28° | 20° | 22.5° | 10.8 h | 3 | 25 |
| SeptemberSep | 95 | 24° | 17° | 21.3° | 8.9 h | 6 | 68 |
| OctoberOct | 86 | 20° | 14° | 19.5° | 7.2 h | 8 | 78 |
| NovemberNov | 62 | 15° | 10° | 17.1° | 6.0 h | 10 | 90 |
| DecemberDec | 53 | 12° | 6° | 14.9° | 5.9 h | 7 | 57 |
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)
43.30° N, 5.38° E · 28 m · Europe/Paris
Best time to visit Marseille
The best time to visit Marseille is from April to October. For a beach holiday with the sea above 21 °C, go from July to September. For sightseeing, day trips and hiking, conditions are most comfortable from April to June and from September to October. The wettest month is November with 90 mm of precipitation.
Find your perfect month
Tell us what you like and we rate every month in Marseille for you.
Your best months: May – June, September
Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.
Which month for what?
Beach & swimming
Jul – Sep
Sea from 21 °C, warm and mostly dry
Sightseeing & hiking
Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct
15–28 °C and not too much rain
Marseille month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
50January11° · Sea 14° · 6 h
In January, Marseille is cool: daytime highs average 11 °C, and nights cool down to about 6 °C. The sea averages 13.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain falls on about 7 days, adding up to 51 mm. All in all, January is a so-so month for a holiday in Marseille.
Marseille in January60February12° · Sea 13° · 7 h
In February, Marseille is cool: daytime highs average 12 °C, and nights cool down to about 5 °C. The sea averages 13.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain falls on about 6 days, adding up to 41 mm. All in all, February is a good month for a holiday in Marseille.
Marseille in February77March15° · Sea 13° · 8 h
In March, Marseille is cool: daytime highs average 15 °C, and nights cool down to about 8 °C. The sea averages 13.3 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. Rain falls on about 6 days, adding up to 45 mm. All in all, March is a good month for a holiday in Marseille.
Marseille in March89April17° · Sea 14° · 9 h
In April, Marseille is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C, and nights cool down to about 10 °C. The sea averages 14.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. With around 9 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. Rain falls on about 8 days, adding up to 58 mm. All in all, April is an excellent month for a holiday in Marseille.
Marseille in April94May21° · Sea 17° · 10 h
In May, Marseille is warm: daytime highs average 21 °C, and nights cool down to about 14 °C. The sea averages 16.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. With around 10 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. Rain falls on about 7 days, adding up to 57 mm. All in all, May is an excellent month for a holiday in Marseille.
Marseille in May98June26° · Sea 20° · 11 h
In June, Marseille is warm: daytime highs average 26 °C, and nights cool down to about 18 °C. The sea averages 19.9 °C – bracing, so a wetsuit helps for longer swims. With around 11 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. Rain is rare: about 5 days bring 31 mm in total. All in all, June is an excellent month for a holiday in Marseille.
Marseille in June93July28° · Sea 21° · 12 h
In July, Marseille is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 20 °C. The sea averages 21.4 °C – refreshing for a swim. With around 12 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. Rain is rare: about 2 days bring 15 mm in total. On about 6 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. All in all, July is an excellent month for a holiday in Marseille.
Marseille in July93August28° · Sea 23° · 11 h
In August, Marseille is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 20 °C. The sea averages 22.5 °C – refreshing for a swim. With around 11 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. Rain is rare: about 3 days bring 25 mm in total. On about 6 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. All in all, August is an excellent month for a holiday in Marseille.
Marseille in August95September24° · Sea 21° · 9 h
In September, Marseille is warm: daytime highs average 24 °C, and nights cool down to about 17 °C. The sea averages 21.3 °C – refreshing for a swim. The sun shines for around 9 hours a day. Rain falls on about 6 days, adding up to 68 mm. All in all, September is an excellent month for a holiday in Marseille.
Marseille in September86October20° · Sea 20° · 7 h
In October, Marseille is mild: daytime highs average 20 °C, and nights cool down to about 14 °C. The sea averages 19.5 °C – bracing, so a wetsuit helps for longer swims. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain falls on about 8 days, adding up to 78 mm. All in all, October is an excellent month for a holiday in Marseille.
Marseille in October62November15° · Sea 17° · 6 h
In November, Marseille is cool: daytime highs average 15 °C, and nights cool down to about 10 °C. The sea averages 17.1 °C – bracing, so a wetsuit helps for longer swims. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 90 mm in total. All in all, November is a good month for a holiday in Marseille.
Marseille in November53December12° · Sea 15° · 6 h
In December, Marseille is cool: daytime highs average 12 °C, and nights cool down to about 6 °C. The sea averages 14.9 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain falls on about 7 days, adding up to 57 mm. All in all, December is a so-so month for a holiday in Marseille.
Marseille in DecemberPlanning a trip to Marseille
Getting there
Flying from
- Nonstop flight
- about 1 h 45 min
- Distance
- 1,010 km
- Time zone
- UTC+2
Estimated from the straight-line distance: 30 minutes for take-off and landing plus 830 km/h cruising speed.
Frequently asked questions about Marseille
When is the best time to visit Marseille?
The best time to visit Marseille is from April to October. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.
How warm is the sea in Marseille?
The sea temperature in Marseille ranges from 13.0 °C in February to 22.5 °C in August. It is warm enough for a comfortable swim (20 °C and more) from July to September.
Can you swim in Marseille in October?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in October the sea averages just 19.5 °C. Comfortable swimming is possible from July to September.
What is the warmest month in Marseille?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C and nights around 20 °C. January is the coolest month at 11 °C.
When does it rain most in Marseille?
The wettest month is November with 90 mm of precipitation. The driest month is July with 15 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does Marseille get?
Marseille gets around 3,130 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is July with 12.1 hours a day; in December there are 5.9 hours a day.
What time zone is Marseille in?
Marseille uses the time zone Europe/Paris: UTC+1 in January and UTC+2 in July.
How long is the flight from London to Marseille?
A nonstop flight from London to Marseille takes about 1 h 45 min, for a straight-line distance of about 1,010 km.
Near Marseille
Other destinations close by.