# Le Tampon

Le Tampon (French pronunciation:) is the fourth-largest commune in the French overseas department and region of Réunion. It is located on the south-central part of the island of Reunion, adjacent to Saint Pierre.

## History

In the early twentieth century, the town was the base for the murderer and sorcerer Sitarane.
The Hôtel de Ville was completed in 1965.

## Geography
### Climate

Le Tampon has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The average annual temperature in Le Tampon is 13.8 °C (56.8 °F). The average annual rainfall is 2,020.2 mm (79.54 in) with February as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in February, at around 17.3 °C (63.1 °F), and lowest in July, at around 10.3 °C (50.5 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Le Tampon was 29.6 °C (85.3 °F) on 26 October 2011; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −1.7 °C (28.9 °F) on 18 August 1988.
Climate data for Le Tampon (altitude 860m, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1969–present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 31.2 (88.2) | 31.0 (87.8) | 31.2 (88.2) | 30.4 (86.7) | 28.1 (82.6) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.9 (80.4) | 26.1 (79.0) | 26.9 (80.4) | 28.3 (82.9) | 30.1 (86.2) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.5 (88.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.4 (79.5) | 25.4 (77.7) | 23.7 (74.7) | 21.8 (71.2) | 21.0 (69.8) | 21.2 (70.2) | 21.9 (71.4) | 23.1 (73.6) | 24.4 (75.9) | 26.0 (78.8) | 24.0 (75.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.1 (71.8) | 22.3 (72.1) | 21.8 (71.2) | 20.6 (69.1) | 18.8 (65.8) | 16.9 (62.4) | 16.0 (60.8) | 16.1 (61.0) | 16.7 (62.1) | 17.8 (64.0) | 19.2 (66.6) | 20.9 (69.6) | 19.1 (66.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.6 (63.7) | 17.8 (64.0) | 17.2 (63.0) | 15.9 (60.6) | 13.9 (57.0) | 12.0 (53.6) | 11.1 (52.0) | 11.0 (51.8) | 11.4 (52.5) | 12.5 (54.5) | 14.0 (57.2) | 15.9 (60.6) | 14.2 (57.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 11.7 (53.1) | 12.5 (54.5) | 11.0 (51.8) | 9.1 (48.4) | 7.9 (46.2) | 6.3 (43.3) | 5.0 (41.0) | 5.6 (42.1) | 5.2 (41.4) | 5.9 (42.6) | 6.1 (43.0) | 10.5 (50.9) | 5.0 (41.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 313.3 (12.33) | 321.8 (12.67) | 195.8 (7.71) | 111.9 (4.41) | 72.0 (2.83) | 61.3 (2.41) | 55.4 (2.18) | 31.1 (1.22) | 35.0 (1.38) | 34.0 (1.34) | 49.8 (1.96) | 143.0 (5.63) | 1,424.4 (56.08) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 13.3 | 13.9 | 11.9 | 8.5 | 7.1 | 6.2 | 5.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 6.6 | 9.7 | 96.2 |
| Source: Météo-France ||||||||||||||
Climate data for Le Tampon (Plaine des Cafres, altitude 1560m, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1965–present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 26.6 (79.9) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.2 (79.2) | 25.8 (78.4) | 24.3 (75.7) | 22.5 (72.5) | 21.9 (71.4) | 23.5 (74.3) | 24.8 (76.6) | 29.6 (85.3) | 28.2 (82.8) | 26.7 (80.1) | 29.6 (85.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.9 (71.4) | 22.0 (71.6) | 21.6 (70.9) | 20.7 (69.3) | 18.7 (65.7) | 16.6 (61.9) | 15.7 (60.3) | 16.1 (61.0) | 17.1 (62.8) | 18.8 (65.8) | 20.3 (68.5) | 21.4 (70.5) | 19.2 (66.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 17.5 (63.5) | 17.6 (63.7) | 17.1 (62.8) | 15.9 (60.6) | 13.7 (56.7) | 11.5 (52.7) | 10.7 (51.3) | 10.8 (51.4) | 11.6 (52.9) | 13.1 (55.6) | 14.6 (58.3) | 16.3 (61.3) | 14.2 (57.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.0 (55.4) | 13.3 (55.9) | 12.5 (54.5) | 11.1 (52.0) | 8.7 (47.7) | 6.5 (43.7) | 5.7 (42.3) | 5.5 (41.9) | 6.1 (43.0) | 7.5 (45.5) | 8.8 (47.8) | 11.2 (52.2) | 9.2 (48.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 5.1 (41.2) | 5.0 (41.0) | 4.2 (39.6) | 2.2 (36.0) | 0.8 (33.4) | −0.9 (30.4) | −1.4 (29.5) | −1.7 (28.9) | −1.6 (29.1) | −0.3 (31.5) | −0.4 (31.3) | 2.0 (35.6) | −1.7 (28.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 426.1 (16.78) | 427.8 (16.84) | 303.0 (11.93) | 124.0 (4.88) | 80.6 (3.17) | 62.1 (2.44) | 62.4 (2.46) | 50.1 (1.97) | 43.2 (1.70) | 42.5 (1.67) | 62.9 (2.48) | 162.7 (6.41) | 1,847.4 (72.73) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 15.1 | 15.2 | 13.8 | 11.5 | 10.0 | 9.5 | 10.3 | 8.8 | 7.7 | 6.3 | 6.8 | 10.8 | 125.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 166.4 | 138.6 | 165.1 | 165.2 | 182.4 | 176.9 | 182.2 | 193.5 | 188.4 | 184.0 | 182.4 | 164.6 | 2,089.7 |
| Source 1: Météo France ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: Meteociel.fr (sunshine 1981-2010) ||||||||||||||

## Cantons

The commune of Le Tampon has been divided into two cantons since the canton reorganisation of March 2015. Their seat is in Le Tampon.
| Name | Population (2019) | Cantonal Code |
| Canton of Le Tampon-1 | 40,342 | 97424 |
| Canton of Le Tampon-2 | 39,482 | 97425 |