Editing Barcelonnette (section)

==Geography==
Barcelonnette is situated in the wide and fertile [[Ubaye Valley]], of which it is the largest town. It lies at an elevation of 1132&nbsp;m (3717&nbsp;ft) on the right bank of the [[Ubaye]] River, and is surrounded by mountains which reach peaks of over 3000&nbsp;m;<ref name="La vallée de Barcelonnette">Jacques Levainville, [http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/geo_0003-4010_1907_num_16_87_6924 "La vallée de Barcelonnette"] In: ''[[Annales de Géographie]]''. 1907, t. 16, n°87. pp. 223–244. {{doi|10.3406/geo.1907.6924}}</ref> the tallest of these is the Needle of Chambeyron at 3412&nbsp;m. Barcelonnette is situated 210&nbsp;km from [[Turin]], 91&nbsp;km from [[Nice]] and 68&nbsp;km from [[Gap, Hautes-Alpes|Gap]].<ref>Votre entreprise à Barcelonnette, Les distances, ''barcelonnette.com''</ref>

===Biodiversity===
As a result of its relief and geographic situation, the Ubaye Valley has an "abundance of plant and animal species".<ref name="Au cœur des Alpes « sèches »">[http://www.mercantour.eu/index.php/Vallee-de-l-Ubaye.html « Au cœur des Alpes « sèches »] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810055512/http://www.mercantour.eu/index.php/Vallee-de-l-Ubaye.html |date=2011-08-10 }}, ''www.mercantour.eu''</ref> The fauna is largely constituted of golden eagles, marmots, [[Alpine ibex|ibex]] and vultures, and the flora includes a large proportion of [[larches]], [[Artemisia (genus)|génépis]] and [[Asphodelus ramosus|white asphodels]].<ref name="Au cœur des Alpes « sèches »"/>

===Climate===
[[File:Barcelonnette-hiver.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Barcelonnette in winter]]
The [[Ubaye Valley]] has an [[alpine climate]] and winters are harsh as a result of the altitude,<ref>[http://www.laprovence.com/article/alpes-de-haute-provence « Alpes-de-Haute-Provence »],'' www.laprovence.com'', 19 juin 2007.</ref> but there are only light winds as a result of the relief.<ref name="Au cœur des Alpes « sèches »"/> There are on average almost 300 days of sun and 700&nbsp;mm of rain per year.<ref name="Au cœur des Alpes « sèches »"/>

{{Weather box
|location = Barcelonnette, 1155m (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1927−present)
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 17.6
|Feb record high C = 20.5
|Mar record high C = 24.0
|Apr record high C = 27.7
|May record high C = 30.5
|Jun record high C = 36.7
|Jul record high C = 34.9
|Aug record high C = 35.7
|Sep record high C = 32.1
|Oct record high C = 28.3
|Nov record high C = 21.4
|Dec record high C = 17.1
|year record high C =

|Jan high C = 6.2
|Feb high C = 8.0
|Mar high C = 12.3
|Apr high C = 15.1
|May high C = 19.3
|Jun high C = 23.7
|Jul high C = 26.3
|Aug high C = 26.1
|Sep high C = 21.4
|Oct high C = 16.5
|Nov high C = 10.2
|Dec high C = 6.3
|year high C =

|Jan mean C = -0.8
|Feb mean C = 0.4
|Mar mean C = 4.3
|Apr mean C = 7.4
|May mean C = 11.4
|Jun mean C = 15.1
|Jul mean C = 17.4
|Aug mean C = 17.1
|Sep mean C = 13.1
|Oct mean C = 9.0
|Nov mean C = 3.7
|Dec mean C = -0.2
|year mean C =

|Jan low C = -7.9
|Feb low C = -7.3
|Mar low C = -3.6
|Apr low C = -0.3
|May low C = 3.4
|Jun low C = 6.5
|Jul low C = 8.4
|Aug low C = 8.0
|Sep low C = 4.9
|Oct low C = 1.4
|Nov low C = -2.9
|Dec low C = -6.7
|year low C =

|Jan record low C = -24.8
|Feb record low C = -25.0
|Mar record low C = -20.0
|Apr record low C = -11.4
|May record low C = -7.4
|Jun record low C = -4.1
|Jul record low C = -0.1
|Aug record low C = -2.5
|Sep record low C = -5.4
|Oct record low C = -13.0
|Nov record low C = -18.5
|Dec record low C = -23.6
|year record low C =

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 43.6
|Feb precipitation mm = 33.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 41.6
|Apr precipitation mm = 59.5
|May precipitation mm = 64.1
|Jun precipitation mm = 57.2
|Jul precipitation mm = 49.4
|Aug precipitation mm = 49.2
|Sep precipitation mm = 63.7
|Oct precipitation mm = 84.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 88.3
|Dec precipitation mm = 59.9
|year precipitation mm =

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 5.5
|Feb precipitation days = 4.5
|Mar precipitation days = 5.2
|Apr precipitation days = 7.6
|May precipitation days = 9.5
|Jun precipitation days = 8.5
|Jul precipitation days = 6.9
|Aug precipitation days = 6.7
|Sep precipitation days = 6.3
|Oct precipitation days = 7.7
|Nov precipitation days = 7.6
|Dec precipitation days = 6.4
|year precipitation days = 

|source 1 = [[Météo-France]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_04019001.pdf
| title=Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records
| language = fr
| publisher = [[Météo-France]]
|access-date = 24 September 2024}}</ref>}}

===Hazards===
None of the 200 communes of the department is entirely free of seismic risk; the [[canton of Barcelonnette]] is placed in zone 1b (low risk) by the determinist classification of 1991 based on seismic history,<ref name="ddrm39">Prefecture of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, ''[http://www.alpes-de-haute-provence.pref.gouv.fr/pages/themes/defense/securite%20civile/index.html#menu1 Dossier départemental sur les risques majeurs dans les Alpes-de-Haute-Provence] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922124859/http://www.alpes-de-haute-provence.pref.gouv.fr/pages/themes/defense/securite%20civile/index.html#menu1 |date=September 22, 2012 }}'' (DDRM), 2008, p. 39</ref> and zone 4 (average risk) according to the probabilistic EC8 classification of 2011.<ref name="prim">Minister of Ecology, Sustainable development, transport and housing, [http://macommune.prim.net/d_commune.php?insee=04019 Notice communale] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723110254/http://macommune.prim.net/d_commune.php?insee=04019 |date=2014-07-23 }} on the Gaspar database, uploaded 8 July 2011, accessed 30 June 2012</ref> The commune is also vulnerable to avalanches, forest fires, floods, and landslides.<ref name="prim"/> Barcelonnette is also exposed to the possibility of a technological hazard in that road transport of dangerous materials is allowed to pass through on the RD900.<ref name="ppr">Prefecture of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, ''Dossier départemental sur les risques majeurs'', p. 95</ref><ref name="ddrm80">Prefecture of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, ''Dossier départemental sur les risques majeurs'', p. 80</ref>

The town has been subject to several orders of natural disaster: floods and mudslides in 1994 and 2008, and landslides in 1996 and 1999. The strongest recorded earthquakes in the region occurred on 5&nbsp;April&nbsp;1959, with its epicentre at [[Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye]] and a recorded intensity of 6.5 at Barcelonnette, and on 17&nbsp;February&nbsp;1947, with its epicentre at [[Prazzo]] over the Italian border.<ref name="brgm">[[BRGM]], "[http://www.sisfrance.net/Commune/liste.asp?LOCAL=false&ORDRE=false&INSEE=04019&XMIN=923496&XMAX=963496&YMIN=1919917&YMAX=1959917 Epicentres of distant tremors (greater than 40 km) felt in Barcelonnette] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150131042642/http://www.sisfrance.net/Commune/liste.asp?LOCAL=false&ORDRE=false&INSEE=04019&XMIN=923496&XMAX=963496&YMIN=1919917&YMAX=1959917 |date=January 31, 2015 }}", ''Sisfrance'', accessed 30 June 2012</ref>