In 2010, the climate of the commune is classified as a frank Mediterranean climate, according to a study based on a dataset covering the 1971-2000 period.[3] In 2020, Météo-France published a typology of climates in mainland France in which the commune is exposed to a Mediterranean climate and is part of the Provence, Languedoc-Roussillon climatic region, characterized by low rainfall in summer, very good sunshine (2,600 h/year), a hot summer 21.5 °C (71 °F), very dry air in summer, dry conditions in all seasons, strong winds (with a frequency of 40 to 50% for winds > 5 m/s), and little fog.[4]
For the 1971-2000 period, the average annual temperature was 14 °C (57 °F) with an annual atmospheric temperature of 16 °C (61 °F). The average annual total rainfall during this period was 931 mm, with 6.9 days of precipitation in January and 3.1 days in July.[3] For the subsequent period of 1991 to 2020, the average annual temperature observed at the nearest weather station, located in the commune of Saint-André-de-Sangonis, 12 kilometres (7 mi) away as the crow flies,[5] is 15.5 °C (60 °F), and the average annual total rainfall is 652.4 mm.[6][7]
For the future, climate parameters for the commune projected for 2050, based on different greenhouse gas emissionscenarios, can be consulted on a dedicated website published by Météo-France in November 2022.[8]
Urbanism
Typology
As of January 1, 2024, Puéchabon is classified as an ‘commune rurale à habitat dispersé’ (rural commune with dispersed settlement) according to the new seven-level commune density grid established by Insee in 2022.[l 1] The commune is located outside of any urban unit.[l 2] Additionally, Puéchabon belongs to the Montpellier attraction area, where it is designated as a commuter town.[Note 1][l 2] This area, encompassing 161 communes, falls under the category of areas with 700,000 inhabitants or more (excluding Paris).[l 3]
Land Use
The land use in the commune, as recorded in the Europeanbiophysical land use database, Corine Land Cover (CLC), is characterized by a high proportion of forests and semi-natural habitats, accounting 90.8 % in 2018, an approximately equivalent proportion compared to that of 1990, 91.2%. The detailed distribution in 2018 was as follows: shrub and/or herbaceous vegetation environments (67.4%), forests (20.3%), permanent crops (7%), open spaces, with little or no vegetation (3.1%), urban areas (1.1%), heterogeneous agricultural areas (1.1%).[9] Changes in the commune’s land use and infrastructure can be observed on various cartographic representations of the area: the Cassini map (18th century), the military topographic map (1820–1866), and IGN maps or aerial photographs from 1950 to the present day.[Map 1]
Map of Infrastructure and Land Use in the Commune in 2018 (CLC)
Population
Changes in the number of inhabitants have been documented through population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. For communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, a full census of the population is conducted every five years, with the legal populations for the intervening years estimated through interpolation or extrapolation.[10] For this commune, the first complete census under the new system was carried out in 2005.[11]
In 2021, the commune had a population of 504,[Note 2] reflecting an increase of +5.88 since 2015 (Hérault: +7.29%, France excluding Mayotte: +1.84%).
^The concept of an functional area replaced the former concept of an urban area in October 2020, enabling consistent comparisons with other European Union countries.
^Legal municipal population effective as of January 1, 2024, based on 2021 data, defined within the territorial boundaries effective as of January 1, 2023, with a statistical reference date of January 1, 2021.
