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Wind zones map – France

What are the French wind zones according to Eurocode 1 ?

On the map of the national annex, the French metropolitan area is divided into four wind zones identified from 1 to 4. Amendment A3, published in April 2019, replaces the division by cantons into a division by municipalities.

Zone1234
Fundamental value of the basic wind velocity vb,022m/s24m/s26m/s28m/s

The French overseas departments, overseas territories and overseas collectivities each have a specific basic wind velocity.

ZoneFrench GuianaMayotte IslandMartinique IslandReunion IslandGuadeloupe Island
Fundamental value of the basic wind velocityvb,017m/s30m/s32m/s34m/s36m/s
Basic wind velocity for overseas departments
ZoneNew CaledoniaWallis and FutunaSaint MartinSaint BarthsSaint Pierre and Miquelon
Fundamental value of the basic wind velocity vb,036m/s41.2m/s36m/s36m/s36m/s
Basic wind velocity for overseas territories and overseas collectivities

Wind zoning of Metropolitan France (2019-2024)


How to adjust the basic wind velocity for each direction of wind and according to return period in France ?

\[\displaystyle v_{b} = c_{prob} \cdot c_{dir} \cdot v_{b,0}\]
  • A variation have to be considered with the probability factor Cprob.
  • When the wind comes from a direction where the probability of occurrence of strong winds is less, a reduction can be considered with the directional factor Cdir.
  • You should also take in account the effect of the roughness of the terrain (vegetation / urbanization) and the effect of orography (terrain relief) to accurately determine the peak velocity pressure for each wind direction.

Quelles sont les catégories de terrain en France ?

0 :

Sea or coastal area exposed to the open sea; lakes and water bodies covered by wind over a distance of at least 5km.

II :

Open field, with or without a few isolated obstacles (trees, buildings, etc.) separated from each other by more than their height x40.

IIIa :

Campaign with hedges; vineyards; grove; sparsely populated.

IIIb :

Urban or industrial areas; dense grove; orchards.

IV :

Urban areas with at least 15% of the surface is covered with buildings whose average height is greater than 15m; forests.


Particularity concerning New Caledonia

Wind zoning of Metropolitan France (2019-2024) The terrain categories have been transposed to Caledonian landscapes. The reference to terrain category IV is removed and categories 0 to III of standard NF EN 1991-1-4 are illustrated by the photographs below :

0 :

Sea side.

II :

Open field.

IIIa :

Campaign with hedges.

IIIb :

Industrial areas.

Source : RCNC


Example of results given by the software Eurocodes Zoning

B1 – Localization

  • Coordinates in World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84) 3.5332°, 45.7153°
  • Coordinates in French Geodetic System 1993 (Lambert 93) 741482m, 6512993m

Address D 304A, 63120 Sauviat, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes


B2 – Altitudes

Distances / DirectionAt the place of construction500m1000m
North436 m 360m407m
Northeast 405m465m
East456m473m
Southeast 419m446m
South449m476m
Southwest 432m411m
West360m468m
Northwest 403m452m

B3 – Building

  • Type of building: monumental building
  • Design working life category: 100 years
  • Max height: 15.0 m
  • Orientation from North: 80°

B4 – Terrain categories

Sectors1234
CategoriesIIIaIVIVIV
Radius R of the angular sector 593m

C1 – Snow

NF EN 1991-1-3/NA (may 2007) + A1 (july 2011)

  • Zone : A2(sk,0 = 0.45 kN/m²)
  • Criteria for zoning : PUY-DE-DOME (63)
  • Characteristic value of snow on the ground at the relevant site : sk,436 = 0.686 kN/m²
  • Ground snow load with a return period of 100 years : s100 ans = 0.774 kN/m²
  • Design value of exceptional snow load on the ground : sad = 1.0 kN/m²

C2 – Vent

NF EN 1991-1-4/NA (march 2008) + A1 (july 2011) + A2 (september 2012) + A3 (april 2019)

  • Zone : 2(vb,0 = 24.0 m/s)
  • Criteria for zoning : PUY-DE-DOME (63)
  • Zone cdir : 1
Sectors1234
Sector definition from  35 °  to  125 ° from  125 °  to  215 ° from  215 °  to  305 ° from  305 °  to  35 °
Fundamental value of the basic wind velocity  vb,0 24.0m/s
Shape parameter  K 0.2
Exponent n0.5
Annual probability of exceedence p0.01
Probability factor  cprob 1.038
Directional factor  cdir 0.71.01.01.0
Basic wind velocity  vb 17.4m/s24.9m/s24.9m/s24.9m/s
Reference roughness length  z0,II 0.05m
Roughness length  z0 0.2m1.0m1.0m1.0m
Terrain factor  kr 0.2090.2340.2340.234
Height above ground z15.0m
Minimum height  zmin 5.0m15.0m15.0m15.0m
Roughness factor  cr(z) 0.9040.6350.6350.635
Orography factor  * co(z) 1.01.01.01.0
Mean wind velocity  vm(z) 15.8m/s15.8m/s15.8m/s15.8m/s
Turbulence factor  kl 0.970.8540.8540.854
Standard deviation of the turbulence  σv 3.544m/s4.989m/s4.989m/s4.989m/s
Turbulence intensity  Iv(z) 0.2250.3150.3150.315
Air density  ρ 1.225kg/m3
Exposure factor  ce(z) 2.1021.2921.2921.292
Peak velocity pressure qp(z) 392.0N/m2491.5N/m2491.5N/m2491.5N/m2
Peak wind velocity for Serviceability Limit States  vp(z),SLS 91.1km/h102.0km/h102.0km/h102.0km/h
Peak wind velocity for Ultimate Limit States  vp(z),ULS 111.5km/h124.9km/h124.9km/h124.9km/h

Here, the orography factor is calculated according to Procedure 1, for an orography consisting of obstacles of various heights and shapes. This type of orography is the most frequently encountered.However, if the building is in a case of orography consisting of well individualized obstacle (isolated hills and ridges or cliffs and escarpments) the orography factor must be calculated according to the procedure 2. According to EN 1991-1-4 §4.3.3(1), the calculated orography factor (1.018) is not taken into account because it does not increase wind velocities by more than 5%.


C3 – Seism

Code of the Environment – Article D563-8-1 (09/01/2015)

JORF n°0248 du 24/10/2010 texte N°5

  • Zone : 3(1.1 m/s²)
  • Criteria for zoning : Sauviat, Puy-de-Dome (63)
  • A seismic analysis may be required for this building.