Ploudalmézeau

Ploudalmézeau
Gwitalmeze
Commune
A view of the sea, at Portsall
A view of the sea, at Portsall
Coat of arms of Ploudalmézeau
Coat of arms
Location of Ploudalmézeau
Map
Ploudalmézeau is located in France
Ploudalmézeau
Ploudalmézeau
Ploudalmézeau is located in Brittany
Ploudalmézeau
Ploudalmézeau
Coordinates: 48°32′28″N 4°39′22″W / 48.5411°N 4.6561°W / 48.5411; -4.6561
CountryFrance
RegionBrittany
DepartmentFinistère
ArrondissementBrest
CantonPlabennec
IntercommunalityPays d'Iroise
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Marguerite Lamour[1]
Area
1
23.18 km2 (8.95 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
6,358
 • Density270/km2 (710/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
29178 /29830
Elevation0–86 m (0–282 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Ploudalmézeau (French pronunciation: [pludalmezo]; Breton: Gwitalmeze) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.

The village and port of Portsall is part of the commune. The Amoco Cadiz oil tanker ran aground off Portsall in 1978, causing a large crude oil spill.

Geography

Climate

Ploudalmézeau has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The average annual temperature in Ploudalmézeau is 11.9 °C (53.4 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,006.4 mm (39.62 in) with November as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 17.0 °C (62.6 °F), and lowest in January, at around 7.7 °C (45.9 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Ploudalmézeau was 38.7 °C (101.7 °F) on 18 July 2022; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −7.0 °C (19.4 °F) on 28 February 2018.

Climate data for Ploudalmézeau (1981–2010 averages, extremes 1998−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17.0
(62.6) 		20.8
(69.4) 		24.1
(75.4) 		26.8
(80.2) 		28.2
(82.8) 		30.5
(86.9) 		38.7
(101.7) 		32.2
(90.0) 		31.6
(88.9) 		28.1
(82.6) 		21.4
(70.5) 		17.1
(62.8) 		38.7
(101.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 9.9
(49.8) 		10.3
(50.5) 		11.8
(53.2) 		13.3
(55.9) 		15.9
(60.6) 		18.6
(65.5) 		20.1
(68.2) 		20.5
(68.9) 		19.2
(66.6) 		16.2
(61.2) 		12.6
(54.7) 		10.2
(50.4) 		14.9
(58.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) 7.7
(45.9) 		7.8
(46.0) 		8.9
(48.0) 		10.1
(50.2) 		12.8
(55.0) 		15.1
(59.2) 		16.7
(62.1) 		17.0
(62.6) 		15.6
(60.1) 		13.3
(55.9) 		10.3
(50.5) 		7.8
(46.0) 		11.9
(53.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 5.5
(41.9) 		5.2
(41.4) 		6.0
(42.8) 		7.0
(44.6) 		9.6
(49.3) 		11.7
(53.1) 		13.3
(55.9) 		13.5
(56.3) 		12.0
(53.6) 		10.3
(50.5) 		8.0
(46.4) 		5.4
(41.7) 		9.0
(48.2)
Record low °C (°F) −5.0
(23.0) 		−7.0
(19.4) 		−2.2
(28.0) 		−0.7
(30.7) 		1.6
(34.9) 		4.3
(39.7) 		6.5
(43.7) 		3.7
(38.7) 		3.5
(38.3) 		−0.3
(31.5) 		−2.4
(27.7) 		−4.4
(24.1) 		−7.0
(19.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 112.1
(4.41) 		82.1
(3.23) 		74.4
(2.93) 		86.7
(3.41) 		65.5
(2.58) 		48.4
(1.91) 		72.4
(2.85) 		59.6
(2.35) 		61.3
(2.41) 		105.7
(4.16) 		121.0
(4.76) 		117.2
(4.61) 		1,006.4
(39.62)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 15.8 13.1 12.9 13.3 10.5 8.5 11.4 9.1 9.2 15.5 17.0 17.5 153.6
Source: Meteociel[3]

International relations

Ploudalmézeau is twinned with Cullompton, Devon.

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 2,701—    
1800 2,906+1.05%
1806 2,738−0.99%
1821 2,881+0.34%
1831 3,023+0.48%
1836 3,085+0.41%
1841 3,209+0.79%
1846 3,234+0.16%
1851 3,219−0.09%
1856 3,220+0.01%
1861 3,267+0.29%
1866 3,252−0.09%
1872 3,148−0.54%
1876 3,341+1.50%
1881 3,240−0.61%
1886 3,205−0.22%
1891 3,286+0.50%
1896 3,305+0.12%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 3,436+0.78%
1906 3,465+0.17%
1911 3,725+1.46%
1921 3,977+0.66%
1926 3,946−0.16%
1931 3,867−0.40%
1936 3,802−0.34%
1946 4,142+0.86%
1954 4,177+0.11%
1962 4,190+0.04%
1968 4,297+0.42%
1975 4,464+0.55%
1982 4,771+0.95%
1990 4,874+0.27%
1999 4,994+0.27%
2007 5,950+2.21%
2012 6,275+1.07%
2017 6,297+0.07%
Source: EHESS[4] and INSEE (1968-2017)[5]

Breton language

In 2008, 11.69% of primary-school children attended bilingual schools, where Breton language is taught alongside French.[6]

Amoco Cadiz oil spill

Amoco Cadiz anchor in Portsall

On 16 March 1978, Amoco Cadiz, a very large crude carrier (VLCC), owned by Amoco, split in three after running aground on Portsall Rocks, 5 km (3.1 mi) from the coast of Portsall, resulting in the largest oil spill of its kind in history to that date.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Normales et records pour Ploudalmezeau (29)". Meteociel. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  4. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Ploudalmézeau, EHESS (in French).
  5. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  6. ^ Ofis ar Brezhoneg: Enseignement bilingue (in French)
  7. ^ Auke Visser (26 August 2010). "Amoco Cadiz". International Super Tankers. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
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