Calais, France » City Info » Geography

Calais is situated in the subdivision of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sous-prefecture. Though Calais is the largest city in the Pas-de-Calais department, the prefecture/capital is located in the town of Arras. Pas-de-Calais lies in the region of Hauts-de-France and is surrounded by the North Sea, the departments of Nord and Somme, and the English Channel.

The distance between Calais port and Dover is 40km (25miles). It is also an import centre with major railway and highway networks connected to Arras, Lens, Bethune and St. Omer.

Calais is a part of the Opal Coast and is famous for its wide dunes and scenic cliffs like Cape Gris Nez and Cape Blanc Nez.

Climate

Calais has a temperate oceanic climate with moderate temperatures and cool winters. The weather is unstable, with an average rainfall of about 800mm in a year.

January is the coldest month, and the temperature reaches as low as 2.4°C (36.3°F). August is the warmest month, with an average temperature of 17.8°C (64°F).

Winter is a bit milder because of the ocean currents with frequent rainfall. The weather is cloudy, the humidity is high, and the wind blows moderate or strong. The wind coming from the North Sea brings cold and unstable weather.

In summer, temperatures are mild with frequent rainfall, but less often than in winter. The temperature reaches around 34°C (93°F) in June, 38.7°C (101.7°F) in July.