Duffel
# Duffel

Duffel (Dutch pronunciation: (listen)) is a municipality in the Belgian province of Antwerp.

The municipality comprises the town of Duffel proper. On 1 January 2020, Duffel had a total population of 17,664. The total area is 22.71 km² which gives a population density of 778 inhabitants per km².

The area is name-giver to a coarse woolen cloth, manufactured in this area from the 11th century, mainly used to make blankets, outdoor (army) coats, and tote bags. Duffel became a household name during and after World War II in the meaning of a coat designed with toggle-and-loop fastening and roomy hood.

The etymology of Duffel is from "dubro" and "locus", from the Gaulish dubrum, dubron – "water".

In 1836, the Duffel railway station opened on the Brussels-North to Antwerp railway line.

## Duffel cloth

The town gives its name to a type of heavy woolen cloth generally used to make blankets and overcoats, especially for the armed forces, and a type of luggage. In the middle ages, an important part of the region's industry was the manufacturing of Flemish laken (a broadcloth), while the cloth produced in Duffel was a thicker variation. The manufacturing process was brought to England by Flemish emigrants in the 1500s. The name for the cloth was so well-known that a type of overcoat made from the cloth and manufactured in England got the name Duffel coat.

## Notable natives

* Jan Van Der Roost, composer
* Kevin De Weert, cyclist
* Andreas Pereira, footballer
* Metejoor, singer
* Cornelis Kiliaan (1528–1607), lexicographer and poet
* Hendrik Hondius I (1573–1650), engraver, cartographer and publisher
* Rocky Bushiri, footballer for Hibernian FC
* Gaëtan De Knyff, racing driver

## Climate

Climate data for Duffel (1991−2020 normals) :

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Average high °C (°F) | 6.7 (44.1) | 7.7 (45.9) | 11.2 (52.2) | 15.5 (59.9) | 19.0 (66.2) | 21.8 (71.2) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.7 (74.7) | 20.1 (68.2) | 15.4 (59.7) | 10.4 (50.7) | 7.1 (44.8) | 15.2 (59.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.0 (39.2) | 4.4 (39.9) | 7.1 (44.8) | 10.3 (50.5) | 14.1 (57.4) | 17.0 (62.6) | 19.1 (66.4) | 18.7 (65.7) | 15.4 (59.7) | 11.5 (52.7) | 7.4 (45.3) | 4.5 (40.1) | 11.1 (52.0) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.3 (34.3) | 1.1 (34.0) | 2.9 (37.2) | 5.3 (41.5) | 9.2 (48.6) | 12.2 (54.0) | 14.3 (57.7) | 13.8 (56.8) | 10.7 (51.3) | 7.5 (45.5) | 4.3 (39.7) | 1.9 (35.4) | 7.0 (44.7) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 68.0 (2.68) | 60.3 (2.37) | 54.1 (2.13) | 40.8 (1.61) | 55.4 (2.18) | 72.6 (2.86) | 76.3 (3.00) | 81.6 (3.21) | 69.3 (2.73) | 64.4 (2.54) | 74.3 (2.93) | 84.2 (3.31) | 801.3 (31.55) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 11.9 | 11.1 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 9.8 | 10.2 | 10.1 | 9.6 | 10.6 | 12.1 | 13.4 | 127.2 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 61 | 77 | 134 | 188 | 218 | 218 | 223 | 210 | 163 | 117 | 66 | 51 | 1,726 |
| Source: Royal Meteorological Institute ||||||||||||||

## Gallery

* Fort van Duffel
* Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van de Goede Wil church
* Betlehem Convent
* Pub in Duffel
