Editing Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques (section)

== Geography ==

=== Location ===
[[File:Vue sur Pau depuis le Gave.JPG|thumb|The château and the ''Pont du XIV-juillet'' [14 July Bridge] seen from the banks of the [[Gave de Pau]]]]
Pau is {{convert|100|km|0|abbr=off}} from the Atlantic Ocean and {{convert|50|km|0|abbr=in}} from the border with Spain on the Pyrenees. The frontier is crossed by the col du Somport ({{convert|1631|m|0|abbr=off}}) and the col du Pourtalet ({{convert|1794|m|0|abbr=on}}). Access to the crossings partly accounts for Pau's strategic importance.

Pau is located {{convert|200|km|0|abbr=on}} west of [[Toulouse]], {{convert|30|km|0|abbr=on}} from [[Tarbes]] and [[Lourdes]], {{convert|25|km|0|abbr=on}} from [[Oloron]]. The conglomeration of Bayonne-Anglet-Biarritz is at {{convert|110|km|0|abbr=on}}, [[Bordeaux]] {{convert|190|km|0|abbr=on}}.

=== Communal boundaries ===
* To the north: [[Buros]], [[Montardon]] and [[Morlaàs]]
* To the east: [[Bizanos]] and [[Idron]]
* To the south: [[Gelos]] and [[Jurançon]]
* To the west: [[Lons]] and [[Billère]]

{{Geographic location
|Centre=Pau
|NW= [[Lons]]
|N=[[Montardon]]
|NE=[[Buros]], [[Morlaàs]]
|W=[[Lons]], [[Billère]]
|E=[[Bizanos]], [[Idron]]
|SW=[[Jurançon]]
|S=[[Gelos]]
|SE=[[Mazères-Lezons]]
}}

=== Hydrography ===
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2023}}
The city, located at an average altitude of {{convert|200|m}}, is crossed by the [[Gave de Pau]], where a ford gave passage to the Pyrenees. ''Gave'' is the name given to a torrent in the Pyrenees. The Gave de Pau, which becomes a torrent when mountain snow melts, takes its source in the [[Cirque de Gavarnie]] and is the main tributary of the [[Adour]], into which it empties after {{convert|175|km}}. The crossing was used for pasturage for sheep in the high meadows. The old route is now a hiking path, [[GR 65]], that runs {{convert|60|km|0|abbr=on}} south to the border.

The lands of the commune are also watered by the [[Luy de Béarn]], a tributary the [[Luy]], and by its tributaries, the [[Aïgue Longue]] and the [[Uzan (river)|Uzan]], as well as the Soust, the Herrère, the [[Ousse (river)|Ousse]] and the Ousse des Bois, tributaries of the Gave de Pau. The Aygue Longue is in turn joined the territory of Pau by the Bruscos and the Lata streams, just as the Ousse is joined by the Merdé stream. The Lau Creek that feeds the Canal du Moulin, meanwhile is also present in the municipality.

=== Climate ===
Pau features wet mild winters, with warm, mild summers that are drier. Its geographical location, not far from the Pyrenees, gives the city a contrasting, warm [[oceanic climate]]. Temperatures colder than {{convert|-10|C|1}} are rare and those below {{convert|-15|C|1}} are exceptional. Temperatures reached lows of {{convert|-15|C|1}} in February 1956 and {{convert|-17.5|C|1}} in January 1985. Snow falls about 3 days per year ({{convert|0.45|m|in}} in 1987), from November to March.

In summer, the maximum temperatures are of the order of {{convert|20|to|30|C|1}}, and temperatures above {{convert|35|C|1}} are reached very rarely. During some days of winter, the [[Foehn wind|foehn]], a warm wind, can raise the temperature over {{convert|20|C|1}}. As soon as the wind stops, snow can fall.

[[Earth rainfall climatology|Rainfall]] is high, of the order of {{convert|1100|mm|in}} per year (compared to {{convert|650|mm|in}} in Paris, {{convert|900|mm|in}} in Bordeaux, and {{convert|650|mm|in}} in Toulouse). Sunshine averages around 1850 hours per year, or a little less than its neighbour of the Hautes-Pyrénées, [[Tarbes]], which averages 1940 hours of sunshine per year. [[Fog]] is infrequent and does not persist much beyond noon. The lack of wind especially characterizes the climate of the Pau region. Strong winds are very rare, in general, winds are very low or zero.

This climate has helped Pau to become, at the end of the 19th century, a winter resort spot popular with the English, Russian and Brazilian bourgeoisie.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}} In 1842 a British doctor, Alexander Taylor, attributed healing 'sedative' virtues to the Pau climate.

This mild and rather wet climate, is also an enhancement to the gardens, parks and public spaces of the city, and for plants from more exotic regions such as Chinese windmill palm ([[Trachycarpus fortunei]]), originating in the Chinese mountains, but also for giant sequoias ([[Sequoiadendron giganteum]]) and laurel magnolia ([[Magnolia grandiflora]]) of American origin.
{{Clear}}
{{Meteo France
|Town=Pau
|Sunshine= 1,880
|Rain=1,068.8
|Snow=5.1
|Storm=26.1
|Fog=34.5<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lameteo.org/index.php/12-climatologie/1550-normales-climatiques-1981-2010-pau|title=Normales climatiques 1981–2010 : Pau|website=www.lameteo.org|access-date=22 June 2022}}</ref>
}}
<br />
{{Weather box
|metric first=yes
|single line=  yes
|location= Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques (1991–2020 averages, extremes 1921–present)
|Jan record high C = 24.5
|Feb record high C = 27.8
|Mar record high C = 31.0
|Apr record high C = 30.8
|May record high C = 34.1
|Jun record high C = 38.1
|Jul record high C = 39.2
|Aug record high C = 39.9
|Sep record high C = 38.9
|Oct record high C = 34.0
|Nov record high C = 27.1
|Dec record high C = 27.2
|year record high C = 39.9
<!--Average high temperatures-->
|Jan high C = 11.2
|Feb high C = 12.3
|Mar high C = 15.5
|Apr high C = 17.5
|May high C = 21.0
|Jun high C = 24.1
|Jul high C = 25.9
|Aug high C = 26.5
|Sep high C = 23.9
|Oct high C = 20.1
|Nov high C = 14.5
|Dec high C = 12.0
|year high C = 18.7
|Jan mean C = 6.8
|Feb mean C = 7.4
|Mar mean C = 10.3
|Apr mean C = 12.5
|May mean C = 16.0
|Jun mean C = 19.1
|Jul mean C = 20.9
|Aug mean C = 21.1
|Sep mean C = 18.3
|Oct mean C = 15.0
|Nov mean C = 10.0
|Dec mean C = 7.5
|year mean C = 13.7
<!--Average low temperatures-->
|Jan low C = 2.4
|Feb low C = 2.5
|Mar low C = 5.0
|Apr low C = 7.4
|May low C = 11.0
|Jun low C = 14.1
|Jul low C = 15.8
|Aug low C = 15.7
|Sep low C = 12.8
|Oct low C = 9.8
|Nov low C = 5.5
|Dec low C = 3.0
|year low C = 8.8
|Jan record low C = -14.8
|Feb record low C = -15.0
|Mar record low C = -8.9
|Apr record low C = -6.0
|May record low C = -1.3
|Jun record low C = 3.6
|Jul record low C = 5.3
|Aug record low C = 5.4
|Sep record low C = -1.0
|Oct record low C = -4.2
|Nov record low C = -9.6
|Dec record low C = -12.6
|year record low C = -15.0
<!--IMPORTANT: use mm or cm but NOT both!-->
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 101.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 82.8
|Mar precipitation mm = 85.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 106.4
|May precipitation mm = 104.2
|Jun precipitation mm = 85.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 64.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 64.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 76.8
|Oct precipitation mm = 91.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 132.0
|Dec precipitation mm = 98.1
|year precipitation mm = 1093.8
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 11.8
|Feb precipitation days = 10.4
|Mar precipitation days = 10.5
|Apr precipitation days = 12.7
|May precipitation days = 12.2
|Jun precipitation days = 9.8
|Jul precipitation days = 8.5
|Aug precipitation days = 8.0
|Sep precipitation days = 9.0
|Oct precipitation days = 10.6
|Nov precipitation days = 12.1
|Dec precipitation days = 11.1
|year precipitation days = 126.8
|Jan humidity = 83
|Feb humidity = 80
|Mar humidity = 77
|Apr humidity = 78
|May humidity = 78
|Jun humidity = 78
|Jul humidity = 78
|Aug humidity = 80
|Sep humidity = 80
|Oct humidity = 83
|Nov humidity = 83
|Dec humidity = 84
|year humidity = 80.2
<!--Average monthly sunshine hours, monthly totals are preferred, and will produce colours, but percentages are accepted.-->
|Jan sun = 100.6
|Feb sun = 121.6
|Mar sun = 163.7
|Apr sun = 167.0
|May sun = 186.4
|Jun sun = 196.2
|Jul sun = 213.2
|Aug sun = 210.9
|Sep sun = 193.0
|Oct sun = 150.3
|Nov sun = 107.4
|Dec sun = 99.4
|year sun = 1909.7
|source 1 = Météo France<ref name="Météo">{{cite web
| url = http://www.meteofrance.com/climat/france/pau/64549001/normales
| title = Données climatiques de la station de Pau
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 28 December 2015}}</ref><ref name=MFclimat2>{{cite web
| url = http://www.meteofrance.com/climat/france/aquitaine/regi72/normales
| title = Climat Aquitaine
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 28 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180416041609/https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_64549001.pdf
| archive-date = 16 April 2018
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_64549001.pdf
| title = Pau–Uzein (64)
| work = Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1991–2020 et records
| publisher = Meteo France
| language = fr
| access-date = 16 April 2018}}</ref>
|source 2 = Infoclimat.fr (humidity, 1961–1990)<ref name=Infoclimat>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170824113546/http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07610-pau-uzein.html
| archive-date = 24 August 2017
| url = http://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie-07610-pau-uzein.html
| title = Normes et records 1961–1990: Pau-Uzein (64) – altitude 183m
| language = fr
| publisher = Infoclimat
| access-date = 28 December 2015}}</ref>}}