Saint-Jean-de-Védas

Climate

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 14.4 °C (58 °F) with an annual atmospheric temperature of 16.3 °C (61 °F). The average annual total rainfall during this period was 657 mm, with 5.8 days of precipitation in January and 2.7 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, 6 kilometres (4 mi) away as the crow flies,^[5] is 15.4 °C (60 °F), and the average annual total rainfall is 591.6 mm.^[6][7]

For the future, climate parameters for the commune projected for 2050, based on different greenhouse gas emission scenarios, can be consulted on a dedicated website published by Météo-France in November 2022.^[8]

Typology

As of January 1, 2024, Saint-Jean-de-Védas is classified as a ‘grand centre urbain’ (major urban center) according to the new seven-level commune density grid established by Insee in 2022.^{[l 1]} It is part of the Montpellier urban unit,^{[Note 1]} an intra-departmental agglomeration comprising 22 communes, of which Saint-Jean-de-Védas is a suburban commune.^{[Note 2][l 2][l 3]} Additionally, Saint-Jean-de-Védas belongs to the Montpellier attraction area, where it is designated as a primary hub city.^{[Note 3][l 3]} This area, encompassing 161 communes, falls under the category of areas with 700,000 inhabitants or more (excluding Paris).^{[l 4]}

Land Use

The land use in the commune, as recorded in the European biophysical land use database, Corine Land Cover (CLC), is characterized by a high proportion of artificial areas, accounting for 51.4% in 2018, up from 33.9% in 1990. The detailed distribution in 2018 was as follows: urban areas (30.2%), heterogeneous agricultural areas (26.5%), industrial or commercial zones and communication networks (21.2%), shrub and/or herbaceous vegetation environments (18.5%), grasslands (1.9%), forests (1.3%), and arable land (0.5%).^[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]}