Lowestoft - Geography

Geography

Lowestoft is the easternmost town in the United Kingdom. It lies on the North Sea coast and is located 110 miles (177 km) north-east of London, 38 miles (61 km) north-east of Ipswich and 22 miles (35 km) south-east of Norwich. The town is divided in two by Lake Lothing which forms Lowestoft Harbour and provides access via Oulton Broad and Oulton Dyke to the River Waveney and the Broads.

Lowestoft is mainly low lying, although with areas of steep hills in the north of the town where the highest points are 20–30 metres above sea level. The underlying rock is crag-sand with overlying sand and glacial till deposits with gravel, with the crag being exposed at coastal cliffs such as at Pakefield. Areas around Lake Lothing feature alluvium silt and some marshland remains west of Oulton Broad. The beaches to the south of the harbour are sandy and have Blue Flag status. Towards the north of the harbour is an area of old sand dunes known locally as the Denes as well as more beaches and Ness Point, the easternmost point of the U.K.

Lowestoft has been subject to periodic flooding, most notably in January 1953 when a North Sea swell driven by low pressure and a high tide swept away many of the older sea defences and deluged most of the southern town. Heavy rain caused flash flooding in the town in September 2006.

Lowestoft is in one of the driest areas of the United Kingdom and receives less than 600 mm of rainfall a year on average. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. Summer temperatures will tend to reach 21°C in August, when the town averages over 200 hours of sunshine, whilst in winter minimum temperatures average 2°C. Significant snowfall is rare, although has occurred in recent years. Sea fog and cool onshore breezes can affect the town.

Lowestoft is Suffolk's second largest town (second to Ipswich) with a population of 64,358 at the 2001 census. The town contains a variety of business and residential areas, with the main shopping centre lying just to the north of Lake Lothing. The wider Lowestoft urban area includes the suburbs of Carlton Colville, Gunton, Pakefield, Oulton and Oulton Broad as well as the district of Kirkley. Outlying villages associated with Lowestoft include Blundeston, Corton, Gisleham, Kessingland and Somerleyton.