# Saint-Paul, Réunion

Saint-Paul (French pronunciation: ) is the second-largest commune in the French overseas department of Réunion. It is located on the extreme west side of the island of Réunion.

## History

Saint-Paul was the capital of the island from its settlement in the early 16th century, until Saint-Denis took over that role in 1738.
The Hôtel de Ville dates from about 1740.
Until 1999, near Saint Paul there was the 428-metre (1,404 ft) tall mast OMEGA Chabrier transmitter.

## Transport

Saint-Paul was to be the western terminus of the proposed Réunion Tram Train. However, the project was abandoned in May 2010 due to a lack of funds.
The traditional grave of French pirate Olivier Levasseur, nicknamed La Buse ("The Buzzard") or La Bouche ("The Mouth"), who was most famous for allegedly hiding one of the biggest treasures in pirate history, estimated at over £1 billion, is located in Saint-Paul's Cimetière marin de Saint-Paul cemetery. Besides pirates, the cemetery also serves as the permanent resting place of poets Leconte de Lisle and Eugène Dayot, as well as the painter Arthur Grimaud.

## Geography
### Climate

Saint-Paul has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw), closely bordering on a hot semi-arid climate (BSh). The average annual temperature in Saint-Paul is 25.3 °C (77.5 °F). The average annual rainfall is 482.3 mm (18.99 in) with January as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in February, at around 28.2 °C (82.8 °F), and lowest in July, at around 22.3 °C (72.1 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Saint-Paul was 37.0 °C (98.6 °F) on 25 January 2019; the coldest temperature ever recorded was 15.1 °C (59.2 °F) on 14 August 1991.
Climate data for Saint-Paul (Pointe des Trois-Bassins, altitude 5m, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1987–present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 37.0 (98.6) | 35.4 (95.7) | 35.7 (96.3) | 34.9 (94.8) | 32.4 (90.3) | 31.3 (88.3) | 29.7 (85.5) | 29.7 (85.5) | 31.1 (88.0) | 32.6 (90.7) | 34.8 (94.6) | 35.7 (96.3) | 37.0 (98.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.6 (88.9) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.2 (88.2) | 30.3 (86.5) | 28.5 (83.3) | 26.8 (80.2) | 25.9 (78.6) | 26.1 (79.0) | 26.7 (80.1) | 28.0 (82.4) | 29.4 (84.9) | 30.9 (87.6) | 28.9 (84.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 28.1 (82.6) | 28.2 (82.8) | 27.6 (81.7) | 26.7 (80.1) | 24.9 (76.8) | 23.2 (73.8) | 22.3 (72.1) | 22.4 (72.3) | 23.0 (73.4) | 24.2 (75.6) | 25.7 (78.3) | 27.3 (81.1) | 25.3 (77.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.1 (75.4) | 23.1 (73.6) | 21.4 (70.5) | 19.7 (67.5) | 18.7 (65.7) | 18.7 (65.7) | 19.3 (66.7) | 20.5 (68.9) | 21.9 (71.4) | 23.6 (74.5) | 21.7 (71.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 21.3 (70.3) | 20.9 (69.6) | 20.5 (68.9) | 19.1 (66.4) | 17.5 (63.5) | 16.0 (60.8) | 15.6 (60.1) | 15.1 (59.2) | 15.8 (60.4) | 16.3 (61.3) | 16.8 (62.2) | 19.5 (67.1) | 15.1 (59.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 109.1 (4.30) | 101.3 (3.99) | 84.1 (3.31) | 45.9 (1.81) | 21.7 (0.85) | 15.3 (0.60) | 7.8 (0.31) | 7.7 (0.30) | 4.7 (0.19) | 8.0 (0.31) | 18.2 (0.72) | 58.5 (2.30) | 482.3 (18.99) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 6.7 | 6.9 | 5.6 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 37.3 |
| Source: Météo France ||||||||||||||
Climate data for Saint-Paul, (L'Ermitage - Cirad, altitude 147m, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2002–present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 35.4 (95.7) | 35.6 (96.1) | 35.7 (96.3) | 34.6 (94.3) | 32.0 (89.6) | 30.4 (86.7) | 29.6 (85.3) | 30.0 (86.0) | 30.9 (87.6) | 32.4 (90.3) | 34.4 (93.9) | 36.0 (96.8) | 36.0 (96.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.6 (88.9) | 31.3 (88.3) | 30.6 (87.1) | 28.6 (83.5) | 27.1 (80.8) | 26.4 (79.5) | 26.7 (80.1) | 27.3 (81.1) | 28.6 (83.5) | 29.9 (85.8) | 31.4 (88.5) | 29.2 (84.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.0 (80.6) | 26.5 (79.7) | 25.7 (78.3) | 23.8 (74.8) | 22.3 (72.1) | 21.5 (70.7) | 21.6 (70.9) | 22.2 (72.0) | 23.5 (74.3) | 24.9 (76.8) | 26.5 (79.7) | 24.4 (75.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 22.4 (72.3) | 22.4 (72.3) | 21.8 (71.2) | 20.8 (69.4) | 19.0 (66.2) | 17.4 (63.3) | 16.6 (61.9) | 16.6 (61.9) | 17.2 (63.0) | 18.4 (65.1) | 19.9 (67.8) | 21.5 (70.7) | 19.5 (67.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 19.2 (66.6) | 19.2 (66.6) | 18.0 (64.4) | 17.5 (63.5) | 14.1 (57.4) | 13.3 (55.9) | 13.1 (55.6) | 12.8 (55.0) | 14.2 (57.6) | 13.1 (55.6) | 16.1 (61.0) | 18.4 (65.1) | 12.8 (55.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 138.4 (5.45) | 117.3 (4.62) | 112.6 (4.43) | 54.6 (2.15) | 25.1 (0.99) | 21.8 (0.86) | 8.3 (0.33) | 9.3 (0.37) | 7.4 (0.29) | 10.7 (0.42) | 28.4 (1.12) | 63.8 (2.51) | 597.7 (23.53) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 8.8 | 8.2 | 7.0 | 4.3 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 5.6 | 47.5 |
| Source: Météo-France ||||||||||||||
Climate data for Saint-Paul (Bois de Nefles, altitude 595m, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2002–present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 34.4 (93.9) | 34.0 (93.2) | 33.3 (91.9) | 31.5 (88.7) | 30.9 (87.6) | 28.7 (83.7) | 28.6 (83.5) | 28.4 (83.1) | 29.5 (85.1) | 30.8 (87.4) | 32.3 (90.1) | 33.6 (92.5) | 34.4 (93.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.7 (83.7) | 28.7 (83.7) | 28.4 (83.1) | 27.9 (82.2) | 26.5 (79.7) | 24.9 (76.8) | 24.0 (75.2) | 24.0 (75.2) | 24.1 (75.4) | 25.1 (77.2) | 26.4 (79.5) | 28.0 (82.4) | 26.4 (79.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 23.8 (74.8) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.6 (74.5) | 22.7 (72.9) | 21.1 (70.0) | 19.4 (66.9) | 18.5 (65.3) | 18.4 (65.1) | 18.7 (65.7) | 19.8 (67.6) | 21.2 (70.2) | 22.8 (73.0) | 21.2 (70.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 19.0 (66.2) | 19.2 (66.6) | 18.7 (65.7) | 17.6 (63.7) | 15.7 (60.3) | 13.9 (57.0) | 13.0 (55.4) | 12.9 (55.2) | 13.3 (55.9) | 14.5 (58.1) | 16.0 (60.8) | 17.7 (63.9) | 16.0 (60.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 15.7 (60.3) | 15.3 (59.5) | 15.5 (59.9) | 13.8 (56.8) | 11.6 (52.9) | 10.9 (51.6) | 9.6 (49.3) | 9.8 (49.6) | 10.4 (50.7) | 8.8 (47.8) | 11.8 (53.2) | 14.2 (57.6) | 8.8 (47.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 252.2 (9.93) | 249.7 (9.83) | 175.4 (6.91) | 74.0 (2.91) | 39.8 (1.57) | 23.0 (0.91) | 13.0 (0.51) | 15.1 (0.59) | 20.9 (0.82) | 23.3 (0.92) | 53.3 (2.10) | 123.9 (4.88) | 1,063.6 (41.87) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 13.3 | 12.9 | 11.1 | 7.0 | 5.4 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 6.3 | 9.9 | 81.3 |
| Source: Météo-France ||||||||||||||
Climate data for Saint-Paul (Piton-Maido, altitude 2150m, 1991–2020 averages, extremes 1998−present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 25.0 (77.0) | 22.7 (72.9) | 23.1 (73.6) | 21.5 (70.7) | 20.0 (68.0) | 22.4 (72.3) | 20.1 (68.2) | 22.3 (72.1) | 22.0 (71.6) | 25.0 (77.0) | 23.8 (74.8) | 23.7 (74.7) | 25.0 (77.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 17.6 (63.7) | 17.8 (64.0) | 17.7 (63.9) | 17.2 (63.0) | 15.5 (59.9) | 13.9 (57.0) | 13.1 (55.6) | 13.4 (56.1) | 14.2 (57.6) | 15.8 (60.4) | 16.4 (61.5) | 17.2 (63.0) | 15.8 (60.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 14.6 (58.3) | 14.8 (58.6) | 14.6 (58.3) | 13.8 (56.8) | 11.9 (53.4) | 10.1 (50.2) | 9.3 (48.7) | 9.4 (48.9) | 10.2 (50.4) | 11.8 (53.2) | 12.7 (54.9) | 13.8 (56.8) | 12.3 (54.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 11.6 (52.9) | 11.8 (53.2) | 11.5 (52.7) | 10.4 (50.7) | 8.3 (46.9) | 6.3 (43.3) | 5.5 (41.9) | 5.4 (41.7) | 6.2 (43.2) | 7.9 (46.2) | 9.0 (48.2) | 10.3 (50.5) | 8.7 (47.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 4.1 (39.4) | 4.5 (40.1) | 5.9 (42.6) | 4.0 (39.2) | 1.4 (34.5) | −0.6 (30.9) | −0.4 (31.3) | −1.1 (30.0) | 0.0 (32.0) | 0.7 (33.3) | 1.1 (34.0) | 4.1 (39.4) | −1.1 (30.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 378.6 (14.91) | 293.8 (11.57) | 280.6 (11.05) | 88.9 (3.50) | 44.7 (1.76) | 32.0 (1.26) | 26.6 (1.05) | 22.1 (0.87) | 29.8 (1.17) | 27.0 (1.06) | 55.2 (2.17) | 126.5 (4.98) | 1,405.8 (55.35) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 14.9 | 13.5 | 12.1 | 8.1 | 6.3 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 5.9 | 10.1 | 89.8 |
| Source: Météo France ||||||||||||||