Editing Folkestone (section)

==Geography==
{{stack|}}
Folkestone is located where the southern edge of the [[North Downs]] escarpment meets the sea. In contrast to the white cliffs at [[Dover]] further to the east, the cliffs at Folkestone are composed of [[greensand]] belonging to the [[Folkestone Formation]] and [[gault clay]]. A small stream, Pent Brook, cuts through the cliffs at this point, and provided the original haven for fishermen and cross-channel boats. The cliffs are constantly under attack from the sea, and the original headlands, which once protected the port, long ago ceased to do so. Artificial protection, in the form of breakwaters and piers, have been necessary since the 17th century.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bishop |first1=C.H. |title=Folkestone: the story of a town |date=1982 |publisher=Headley Bros. |location=Ashford |isbn=9780900443107}}</ref>

The town is now built on both sides of the original valley: the West Cliff and ''The Bayle'' to the West, and the East Cliff on the other side of the stream. The Pent Stream now runs through a culvert from the fire station, at the junction of Radnor Park Road, Park Farm and Pavilion Road, until it reaches the inner harbour. Remains of a quay, dating to the 17th century, were discovered under what is now a public car park, between the Old High Street and the railway viaduct, adjacent to the current harbour. Included in the town is [[Cheriton, Kent|Cheriton]], where the [[Channel Tunnel]]'s northern exit is located; [[Newington, Folkestone & Hythe|Newington]]; and [[Peene, Kent|Peene]].

In August 1996 a one-in-600-years storm left homes and businesses in Black Bull Road, in the Foord Valley, under two metres of water.<ref>{{cite web |title=Folkestone – Foord Valley £5.5m flood alleviation scheme after 1 in 600 years storm |url=http://www.waterprojectsonline.com/case_studies/2003/Southern_Folkestone_2003.pdf |website=UK Water Projects Online |access-date=10 February 2018 |date=2003 |archive-date=13 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113154559/http://www.waterprojectsonline.com/case_studies/2003/Southern_Folkestone_2003.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> Heavy rainfall combined with inadequacies in the Pent Stream and local drainage caused the flooding. A crowd of 2,332 saw [[Folkestone Invicta]] play hosts to [[West Ham United]] in a benefit football match following the flood.

=== Climate ===
Folkestone experiences a temperate [[oceanic climate]], much like the rest of England. The air temperature is moderated by its proximity to the coast, however winter temperatures are not as mild as in southwest England. Temperature extremes include a high of {{convert|33.6|C|F}} recorded on 3 August 1990,<ref name="SR max"/> and a low of {{convert|-14.5|C|F}} on 10 February 1986.<ref name="SR min"/> Folkestone receives, on average, 1,931.6 hours of mean annual sunshine &ndash; the highest amount for a British mainland weather station.<ref name="SunnySave">{{cite web |url=https://www.sunsave.energy/solar-panels-advice/cities-and-regions/sunniest-places|title=SunnySave |access-date=2025-04-15}}</ref>
{{Weather box
| location = Folkestone Ski Centre, elevation: {{cvt|35|m|ft|0}}, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1908–2003
| collapsed = 
| metric first = y
| single line = y
| Jan record high C = 15.5
| Feb record high C = 15.6
| Mar record high C = 20.0
| Apr record high C = 24.4
| May record high C = 27.8
| Jun record high C = 32.0
| Jul record high C = 31.1
| Aug record high C = 33.6
| Sep record high C = 28.9
| Oct record high C = 24.0
| Nov record high C = 17.2
| Dec record high C = 15.0
| Jan high C = 7.9
| Feb high C = 8.1
| Mar high C = 10.6
| Apr high C = 13.2
| May high C = 16.3
| Jun high C = 19.1
| Jul high C = 21.4
| Aug high C = 21.5
| Sep high C = 19.1
| Oct high C = 15.3
| Nov high C = 11.3
| Dec high C = 8.6
| year high C = 14.4
| Jan mean C = 5.2
| Feb mean C = 5.3
| Mar mean C = 7.2
| Apr mean C = 9.4
| May mean C = 12.5
| Jun mean C = 15.2
| Jul mean C = 17.5
| Aug mean C = 17.6
| Sep mean C = 15.3
| Oct mean C = 12.0
| Nov mean C = 8.3
| Dec mean C = 6.0
| year mean C = 10.9
| Jan low C = 2.6
| Feb low C = 2.4
| Mar low C = 3.8
| Apr low C = 5.5
| May low C = 8.7
| Jun low C = 11.3
| Jul low C = 13.6
| Aug low C = 13.6
| Sep low C = 11.5
| Oct low C = 8.7
| Nov low C = 5.3
| Dec low C = 3.4
| year low C = 7.6
| Jan record low C = -12.4
| Feb record low C = -14.5
| Mar record low C = -6.1
| Apr record low C = -4.5
| May record low C = -1.9
| Jun record low C = 0.0
| Jul record low C = 4.2
| Aug record low C = 3.1
| Sep record low C = 1.1
| Oct record low C = -3.4
| Nov record low C = -6.3
| Dec record low C = -7.5
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 76.0
| Feb precipitation mm = 58.7
| Mar precipitation mm = 46.7
| Apr precipitation mm = 47.3
| May precipitation mm = 50.3
| Jun precipitation mm = 56.5
| Jul precipitation mm = 53.9
| Aug precipitation mm = 61.5
| Sep precipitation mm = 62.9
| Oct precipitation mm = 95.2
| Nov precipitation mm = 95.2
| Dec precipitation mm = 92.4
| year precipitation mm = 796.6
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 13.2
| Feb precipitation days = 10.7
| Mar precipitation days = 8.8
| Apr precipitation days = 8.3
| May precipitation days = 8.4
| Jun precipitation days = 8.0
| Jul precipitation days = 7.7
| Aug precipitation days = 8.1
| Sep precipitation days = 9.0
| Oct precipitation days = 12.0
| Nov precipitation days = 13.0
| Dec precipitation days = 13.5
| year precipitation days = 120.7
| Jan sun = 76.1
| Feb sun = 92.8
| Mar sun = 139.2
| Apr sun = 207.4
| May sun = 238.7
| Jun sun = 244.0
| Jul sun = 229.1
| Aug sun = 241.3
| Sep sun = 181.7
| Oct sun = 131.8
| Nov sun = 82.6
| Dec sun = 66.7
| year sun = 1931.6
| source 1 = [[Met Office]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/u10fdeb7p |title=Folkestone 1991–2020 averages |publisher=Met Office |access-date=25 February 2022 |archive-date=23 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211223004250/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/u10fdeb7p |url-status=live }}</ref>
| source 2 = Starlings Roost Weather<ref name="SR max">{{cite web |url=http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/ukobs/temp_month_record_tmax_map.php |title=Monthly Extreme Maximum Temperature |publisher=Starlings Roost Weather |archive-date=15 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815080921/http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/ukobs/temp_month_record_tmax_map.php |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="SR min">{{cite web |url=http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/ukobs/temp_month_record_tmin_map.php |title= Monthly Extreme Minimum Temperature |access-date=8 February 2023 |publisher=Starlings Roost Weather |archive-date=1 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201173844/http://starlingsroost.ddns.net/weather/ukobs/temp_month_record_tmin_map.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
| date = June 2015}}
{|style="width:100%;text-align:center;line-height:1.2em;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
!Colspan=14|Average sea temperatures for Folkestone
|-
!Month
!Jan
!Feb
!Mar
!Apr
!May
!Jun
!Jul
!Aug
!Sep
!Oct
!Nov
!Dec
!style="border-left-width:medium"|Year
|-
!Average sea temperature °C (°F)
|style="background:#3131ff;color:#ffffff;"|7.6<br />(45.7)
|style="background:#3131ff;color:#ffffff;"|7.6<br />(45.7)
|style="background:#2828ff;color:#ffffff;"|7.2<br />(45.0)
|style="background:#4f4fff;color:#ffffff;"|9.0<br />(48.2)
|style="background:#8383ff;color:#000000;"|11.4<br />(52.5)
|style="background:#bfbfff;color:#000000;"|14.2<br />(57.6)
|style="background:#e8e8ff;color:#000000;"|16.1<br />(61.0)
|style="background:#ffefdf;color:#000000;"|17.7<br />(63.9)
|style="background:#ffefdf;color:#000000;"|17.7<br />(63.9)
|style="background:#e8e8ff;color:#000000;"|16.1<br />(61.0)
|style="background:#b7b7ff;color:#000000;"|13.8<br />(56.8)
|style="background:#7474ff;color:#ffffff;"|10.7<br />(51.3)
|style="background:#9999ff;color:#000000;border-left-width:medium"|12.4<br />(54.3)
|-
!Colspan=14 style="background:#f8f9fa;font-weight:normal;font-size:95%;"|Source: seatemperature.org <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.seatemperature.org/europe/united-kingdom/folkestone-january.htm |title=Folkestone sea temperatures |publisher=seatemperature.org |access-date=17 May 2021 |archive-date=11 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211131340/https://www.seatemperature.org/europe/united-kingdom/folkestone-january.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
|}