Construction of the observatory 1887-1894 (≈ 1891)
Built as a castle in extreme conditions.
18 août 1894
Official Inauguration
Official Inauguration 18 août 1894 (≈ 1894)
Surveys began on December 1, 1894.
1943
Link to Météo-France
Link to Météo-France 1943 (≈ 1943)
Transfer to the National Meteorological Office.
1988
Creation of Friends of Aigoual
Creation of Friends of Aigoual 1988 (≈ 1988)
Save the inhabited station all year round.
1er juillet 2023
Opening of the Climatograph
Opening of the Climatograph 1er juillet 2023 (≈ 2023)
Climate Change Interpretation Centre.
31 décembre 2023
Total automation
Total automation 31 décembre 2023 (≈ 2023)
Completion of manual readings after 129 years.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The Meteorological Observatory of Mount Aigoual, located at the place known as Hors de Dieu, on Parcel 1308 in Cadastre A, according to the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by order of 7 September 2020
Key figures
Personnel de 1947 - Historical team
Nine people including meteorologists and families.
Associations des Amis de l’Aigoual (1988) - Actors of preservation
Allow the maintenance of the inhabited station.
Origin and history
The Meteorological Observatory of Mount Aigoual, located at 1,571 metres above sea level on the Aigoual Sommital Plateau, was built between 1887 and 1894 under extreme climatic conditions. Inspired by a "castle fort" model, it is distinguished by its crenellated tower and its orientation table installed by the army service. Inaugurated on 18 August 1894, it began its surveys on 1 December of the same year under the initial authority of the Water and Forestry Administration. A refuge, built in 1897 by the French Alpine Club, attracts tourists in summer, while in winter the staff remains isolated at the top.
In 1943, the observatory came under the control of the National Meteorological Office (now Météo-France). Its peak was reached in 1947 with a team of nine people, including meteorologists, a cook and their families. Life there is harsh: winter refueling is facilitated only from 1955, with snow clearing of a road. Despite the gradual automation of other stations, Mont-Aigoual remains the last inhabited mountain resort all year round, thanks to the commitment of the Associations of Friends of the Aigoual created in 1988.
The site, marked by weather records (raised at 360 km/h in 1968, 10.39 meters of snow, 240 days of fog per year), became in 2023 the Climatograph, the first French centre to interpret climate change. After 129 years of manual readings, the Météo-France station was fully automated on 31 December 2023. The archives, preserved since 1895, are transferred to Aix-en-Provence. Since 1985, the site has also been home to amateur radio relays and, since 1992, a testing centre for materials in extreme conditions.
Ranked a Historical Monument in 2020, the observatory symbolizes a unique scientific and environmental heritage. Its architecture, adapted to hostile conditions, and its pioneering role in meteorological research make it an emblematic place of the Cevennes National Park, managed by the community of communes Causses Aigoual Cevennes Terres-Solidaires.
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