Are France and Italy usually wet?

France and Italy are very large and diverse countries. Asking them if something is "average" is a bit inaccurate. It can be said that the climate of France and Italy is generally mild, because they both belong to the northern temperate climate zone of the earth, not to the colder sub-polar climate zone, nor to the hotter tropical climate zone. But that's all.

Even this is not entirely accurate: the northernmost part of France is nearly 2000 kilometers from the southernmost part of Italy, and the southernmost part of Italy is about 200 kilometers south of the northernmost part of Africa. Comparing the climate of Sicily, Italy and the northern part of the Calais Strait, France is just like comparing the climate of Dallas, Texas, USA and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

As for humidity, well, some places in France and Italy are very humid because they are very dry. The average humidity depends on many parameters: temperature, rainfall, the existence of nearby water bodies, etc.

Generally speaking, a wet place refers to a rainy, cold place near a lake or ocean. If you look at the map of France, you will find that some places in the north have these characteristics. The French coast of the English Channel has these characteristics, and the corresponding coastal humidity in England and Wales is quite high. It is especially rainy in the west, and the humid wind from the Atlantic brings frequent and intense rainfall. The coastal areas of Brittany and Normandy are considered as wet places.

But what is certain is that the part of France facing the Mediterranean is not humid: the rain is limited and the climate is mild. In addition, the inland areas of France are not particularly humid because there is no large area of water nearby, except for the mountainous areas with higher terrain.

So it can't be said that France is "generally" wet. There are wet places and quite dry places, just like some places are very cold in winter and some places are very hot in summer.

The same is true of Italy: the climate in most parts of Italy is mild, and the Mediterranean has alleviated this situation. It's neither too hot nor too cold here, and rainfall is generally limited. Some places, such as the south of Sicily, must have a dry and hot climate similar to that of North Africa. But there are also some very humid places in Italy. For example, in the northeast near the border between Slovenia and Croatia, it often rains, and it is very cold and humid in winter. There are also some deep mountain canyons, where a lake is formed, such as Maggiore Lake, Lario Lake and Garda Lake, which can be very humid.

Similarly, Italy is "generally" not too humid. There are very wet and dry places. Let's use some figures to prove the following sentence: the most rainy place in Italy is the Carney Alps at the eastern end of the Alps, with an average annual rainfall of 3500 mm, and the driest place is the southern coast of Sardinia, with an average annual rainfall of less than 500 mm.