Watten (French pronunciation: [wat];[3][4] Dutch: Waten, meaning "ford" as in "river-crossing") is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.[5] Its inhabitants are called "Wattenais".
Watten | |
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Commune | |
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Location of Watten | |
Watten Watten | |
Coordinates: 50°50′01″N 2°12′47″E | |
Country | France |
Region | Hauts-de-France |
Department | Nord |
Arrondissement | Dunkerque |
Canton | Wormhout |
Intercommunality | Hauts de Flandre |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–2026) | Daniel Deschodt[1] |
Area 1 | 7.32 km2 (2.83 sq mi) |
Population | 2,599 |
• Density | 360/km2 (920/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
INSEE/Postal code | 59647 /59143 |
Elevation | 1–73 m (3.3–239.5 ft) (avg. 55 m or 180 ft) |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. |
Watten is located at the limit of the French Flanders historical county. However, the local Dutch dialect (French Flemish) is virtually extinct. The neighbouring villages are Wattendam (commune of Holque), Millam, Serques, Éperlecques and Wulverdinghe.
While Watten belongs to the Nord département, it is bordering the Pas-de-Calais département. The village is crossed by the rivers Aa and Colme.
Watten has a oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The average annual temperature in Watten is 11.3 °C (52.3 °F). The average annual rainfall is 822.8 mm (32.39 in) with November as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 18.6 °C (65.5 °F), and lowest in January, at around 4.8 °C (40.6 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Watten was 41.9 °C (107.4 °F) on 25 July 2019; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −19.3 °C (−2.7 °F) on 14 January 1982.
Climate data for Watten (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1970−present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 16.1 (61.0) |
20.0 (68.0) |
25.9 (78.6) |
28.9 (84.0) |
32.8 (91.0) |
35.8 (96.4) |
41.9 (107.4) |
37.0 (98.6) |
33.6 (92.5) |
29.9 (85.8) |
20.3 (68.5) |
16.4 (61.5) |
41.9 (107.4) |
Average high °C (°F) | 7.6 (45.7) |
8.5 (47.3) |
11.7 (53.1) |
15.5 (59.9) |
18.6 (65.5) |
21.3 (70.3) |
23.7 (74.7) |
23.8 (74.8) |
20.7 (69.3) |
16.1 (61.0) |
11.1 (52.0) |
7.9 (46.2) |
15.5 (59.9) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.8 (40.6) |
5.3 (41.5) |
7.6 (45.7) |
10.3 (50.5) |
13.5 (56.3) |
16.3 (61.3) |
18.5 (65.3) |
18.6 (65.5) |
15.7 (60.3) |
12.1 (53.8) |
8.1 (46.6) |
5.2 (41.4) |
11.3 (52.3) |
Average low °C (°F) | 2.0 (35.6) |
2.0 (35.6) |
3.5 (38.3) |
5.1 (41.2) |
8.3 (46.9) |
11.2 (52.2) |
13.4 (56.1) |
13.4 (56.1) |
10.8 (51.4) |
8.1 (46.6) |
5.0 (41.0) |
2.6 (36.7) |
7.1 (44.8) |
Record low °C (°F) | −19.3 (−2.7) |
−14.6 (5.7) |
−11.0 (12.2) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
1.1 (34.0) |
4.5 (40.1) |
4.7 (40.5) |
1.3 (34.3) |
−6.8 (19.8) |
−9.6 (14.7) |
−13.8 (7.2) |
−19.3 (−2.7) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 69.5 (2.74) |
57.8 (2.28) |
50.0 (1.97) |
43.9 (1.73) |
56.4 (2.22) |
58.8 (2.31) |
67.0 (2.64) |
72.9 (2.87) |
71.9 (2.83) |
83.9 (3.30) |
97.3 (3.83) |
93.4 (3.68) |
822.8 (32.39) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 12.8 | 10.9 | 9.8 | 8.6 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 8.9 | 8.7 | 10.2 | 12.5 | 14.1 | 14.2 | 130.0 |
Source: Météo-France[6] |
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1968 | 3,005 | — |
1975 | 2,819 | −0.91% |
1982 | 3,235 | +1.99% |
1990 | 3,030 | −0.81% |
1999 | 2,925 | −0.39% |
2007 | 2,731 | −0.85% |
2012 | 2,536 | −1.47% |
2017 | 2,563 | +0.21% |
Source: INSEE[7] |
The arms of Watten are blazoned : Per fess argent and gules, 3 pales counterchanged.
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The village is famous for its old ruined abbey, and for its mill, which was restored in the 1990s. These two buildings are located on the "Mountain of Watten" (72 metres high). Its church dates from the thirteenth century.
Nearby is the Blockhaus d'Éperlecques, a massive German bunker site from World War Two, wrecked by Allied bombing. It is now a museum.
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