Climate - Reunion

In Réunion, an overseas department of France located in the Indian Ocean south of the Equator, the climate is tropical, with a hot, humid season from December to March and a cool season from June to September, ie the austral winter.
There are, however, significant differences between the zones. The south-east trade winds blow all year round, but especially in the cool season. In the interior of the island, which is mountainous, the winds bring rainfall on the eastern slopes throughout the year, while the western slopes are rainy only in the hot and humid season, while in the rest of the year, they only receive a few rains and are even a bit warmer. So, the island is basically divided into two, and the northwest coast, where we also find the most beautiful beaches, is almost dry.
The rains in Réunion occur in the form of short but intense showers, called avalasses. As mentioned, in the interior, the elevations enhance the formation of thunderclouds on the slopes exposed to the wind, so much so that the rainfall can even reach 6 meters (235 inches) per year. As regards to the coasts, the leeward side is partially sheltered, so the eastern coast, where rainfall exceeds 3,000 millimeters (120 inches) per year, is much more rainy than the western one, from Le Port to Saint-Pierre, where it drops below 1,000 mm (40 in). The rains are most abundant from January to March, when more than 200 mm (8 in) generally fall per month along the coast, and up to 1,000 mm (40 in) per month on the inland slopes. Usually, the rainiest month is February.

Index

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• The coast - Saint-Denis, Le Port
• Inland areas
• Cyclones
• When to go
• What to pack

The coast

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Saint-Denis

In the capital, Saint-Denis, located on the north coast, daytime temperatures from June to September drop to around 25/26 °C (77/79 °F) and night-time temperatures to around 18/19 °C (64/66 °F), but they can sometimes drop to 13/14 °C (55/57 °F). On the contrary, during the warmer period, from January to March, the temperature hovers around 30 °C (86 °F) during the day and around 23/24 °C (73/75 °F) at night.
Here are the average temperatures.

As for the rains, on the north coast, we find an intermediate situation, with 1,600 mm (65 in) of rain falling per year. However, some showers may occur even in the driest months. Here is the average precipitation in St. Denis.

Along the coasts of Réunion, the amount of sunshine is not excellent nor poor, since some cloudiness can form throughout the year, but as mentioned, the rains do not last long. On the contrary, on the slopes of the volcanoes, the sky is often cloudy. Here are the average sunshine hours per day in St. Denis.

Le Port

In Le Port, on the north-west coast, the temperatures are slightly higher because the prevailing winds descend from the mountains. Here are the average temperatures.

The rains in Le Port are very scarce from May to November, and in any case, they only total 580 mm (22.8 in) per year. Here is the average rainfall.

In Réunion, the temperature of the sea is high enough for swimming all year round, however, it decreases to 24/25 °C (75/77 °F) between July and October.

There are surfing spots, or diving can be done in the coral reef, even though there is the danger represented by currents and sharks.

Inland areas

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In the interior of the island, there is a town called Cilaos, at 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) above sea level, inside the caldera of Piton des Neiges volcano, where from 15 to 16 March 1952, as many as 1,870 mm (73.5 in) of rain fell, beating the world record of the highest 24-hour rainfall. However, in Cilaos, 1,800 mm (70 in) of rain fall per year on average, with a maximum of 600 mm (23.5 in) in February, and less than 100 mm (4 in) per month from May to November.
Here are the average temperatures.

Piton des Neiges volcano is 3,069 meters (11,841 feet) high, but despite its name ("snowy peak"), it hardly ever sees snow even on the summit.
In the south-east of the island, there is another volcano, Piton de la Fournaise, very active, 2,632 meters (8,635 feet) high.
Here are the average temperatures of Bellecombe Pass, located at 2,300 meters (7,500 feet), on the edge of the caldera of Piton de la Fournaise. As you can see, the temperatures are mild in summer, while they are cold in winter.

Here, precipitation amounts to as high as 5,200 mm (205 in) per year, of which more than 500 mm (20 in) per month from January to April, but heavy downpours are also possible in July and August (and a bit less from September to November).
Owing to the great amount of rain that falls in the interior, there are forests as well as numerous streams (some of which are used for rafting), which give rise to waterfalls. The interior, with its spectacular landscape, is protected in a National Park since 2007, while in 2010, the island earned a place in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

Tropical cyclones

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The island of Réunion is located in the path of tropical cyclones, whose season runs from November 1 to May 15, although they are most common from late December to mid-April.
Some particularly intense cyclones that struck the island were Claudette in December 1979, Daniella in December 1996, Hollanda in February 1994, and Dina in January 2002. When Hurricane Dina affected the island, in La Plaine des Chicots (in the inland mountainous area), 2,102 mm (82.8 in) of rain fell in three days.

When to go

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The best time to visit Réunion is the austral winter, ie from mid-May to October, since it's the coolest and driest period of the year, and out of the hurricane season. However, during this period, the weather can be a bit cool for a beach holiday, also because of the trade winds, which blow especially along the eastern and southern coasts. You can then take advantage of the mild temperatures to explore the interior of the island (but remember that in winter, it is cold in the high mountains).
Alternatively, you can prefer the second half of May and the month of October, which are slightly warmer, and in any case, you can choose the north-west coast, which is more sheltered from the wind.
Orchids bloom especially at the end of winter, ie between late September and October.

If you want to go in January and February, a period which in any case is not recommended because of the risk of cyclones, you can choose the west coast, from Le Port to Saint-Pierre, which is less rainy even during this period.

What to pack

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In winter (May to October): on the coast, bring light clothes, a sweatshirt or sweater, a light jacket, and a scarf for the breeze. In Cilaos, spring/autumn clothes, and a raincoat. When going mountain climbing, bring hiking boots, a fleece, a jacket, and a raincoat.
In summer (December to arch): along the coast, bring tropics-friendly, loose-fitting clothing, light shirts and pants of natural fibers (cotton, linen), a light sweatshirt for the evening, and a light raincoat or umbrella. In Cilaos, bring light clothes, a sweatshirt or sweater, a light jacket, and a raincoat.

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