Editing Whitstable (section)

==Geography==
Whitstable is on the north-east Kent coast. The town lies to the east of the outlet of [[The Swale]] into the [[Greater Thames Estuary]]. The town is {{convert|3|km|mi|0}} west of the seaside town of Herne Bay, {{convert|8|km|mi|0}} north-east of the town of [[Faversham]] and {{convert|8|km|mi|0}} north of the city of Canterbury; several small villages lie in between. The suburbs/villages of [[Tankerton]], [[Swalecliffe]] and [[Chestfield]] are at the eastern end of the town, [[Seasalter]] at the west, and South Street at the south. Chestfield has its own [[Civil parish|parish]] council. An area of protected woodland and grassland called [[Duncan Down]] lies to the south-east.
{{Geographic location
|title = '''Destinations from Whitstable'''
|Northwest = [[Thames Estuary]] (sea)
|North     = [[Thames Estuary]] (sea)
|Northeast = [[Thames Estuary]] (sea)
|West      = [[The Swale]] (sea)
|Centre    = Whitstable
|East      = [[Herne Bay, Kent|Herne Bay]] (town)
|Southwest = [[Graveney]] with [[Goodnestone, Swale|Goodnestone]] (civil parish)
|South     = [[Blean]] (civil parish)
|Southeast = [[Chestfield]] and [[Swalecliffe]] (civil parish)
}}

The geology of the town consists mainly of [[London Clay]] (which covers most of North Kent).<ref>{{cite book  | last=Woodward|first=Horrace B|title = Stanford's Geological Atlas   | year = 1904 }}</ref> Much of the centre of the town is built on low-lying marshland.<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle = Kent (county) | display=Kent | volume =15 }}</ref> Sea walls are in place to prevent coastal flooding. The land in the east is higher, with slopes down to the coast at Tankerton. The whole of the north-east Kent coast has been designated a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Geological Sites Map | publisher = Natureonthemap.org.uk | url = http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx | access-date = 24 April 2007 | archive-date = 3 March 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110303182025/http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx | url-status = live }}</ref>

A very unusual (some say unique) shingle spit locally named "The Street" extends into the sea to the east of the harbour, formed by the local currents.{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}} A survey in 2019 discovered it is an especially heavy London clay, and is all that remains of the saltmarsh that once extended the length of the Swale.{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}} It is exposed at low tide, and visitors, ignoring the warning signs, are sometimes trapped by the advancing tide, needing to be rescued by the local [[RNLI]] lifeboat.

===Climate===
In East Kent, the warmest time of the year is July and August, when maximum temperatures average around 22&nbsp;°C (71.6&nbsp;°F). The coolest time of the year is January and February, when minimum temperatures average around 2&nbsp;°C (35.6&nbsp;°F).<ref name="metengland" /> East Kent's average maximum and minimum temperatures are around 1/2&nbsp;°C higher than the national average.<ref name="metengland">{{cite web |title=Manston (Kent) UK climate averages |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/u10unds1y |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305122657/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/u10unds1y |archive-date=5 March 2022 |access-date=5 March 2022 |website=www.metoffice.gov.uk |publisher=Met Office}}</ref> Whitstable is sometimes warmer than other parts of [[Kent]] due to it being backed by the [[North Downs]] to the south.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kent weather exposed |publisher=BBC Kent |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/weather/features/kent_weather2.shtml |access-date=12 June 2016 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426172737/http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/weather/features/kent_weather2.shtml |archive-date=26 April 2009 }}</ref>

East Kent's average annual rainfall is about 613&nbsp;mm (24.1&nbsp;in); October to January being the wettest months.<ref name="metengland" />  The national average annual rainfall is about 870&nbsp;mm (34&nbsp;in).<ref name="metengland"/> A recent drought caused Mid Kent Water to impose a [[hosepipe ban]] between August 2005<ref>{{cite web  | title = Mid Kent Water Impose Further Water Restrictions | publisher = Mid Kent Water | url = http://www.midkentwater.co.uk/Press/hosepipe%20ban.htm  | access-date =29 March 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070321082321/http://www.midkentwater.co.uk/Press/hosepipe%20ban.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 21 March 2007}}</ref> and February 2007.<ref>{{cite web | title = Mid Kent Water Lifts Ban | publisher = HosePipeBan.org.uk | url = http://www.hosepipeban.org.uk/?p=52 | date = 27 February 2007 | access-date = 29 March 2007 | archive-date = 31 January 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210131230634/https://hosepipeban.org.uk/2007/02/27/mid-kent-water-lifts-ban/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

The nearest Met Office average data for each month as well as the current data reported on the BBC web site are from recording stations approximately {{convert|20|mi|km|sigfig=1}} away to east and west and do not well represent Whitstable weather.