Saint-Leu (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ lø]) is a commune in the French overseas department of Réunion. It is located on the west coast of the island of Réunion.
Saint-Leu | |
|---|---|
 Town Hall | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
 | |
Location of Saint-Leu  | |
| Coordinates: 21°09′59″S 55°17′13″E / 21.1664°S 55.2869°E | |
| Country | France |
| Overseas region and department | Réunion |
| Arrondissement | Saint-Paul |
| Canton | Saint-Leu and L'Étang-Salé |
| Intercommunality | Territoire de la Côte Ouest |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Bruno Domen[1] |
| Area 1 | 118.37 km2 (45.70 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | 34,893 |
| • Density | 290/km2 (760/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+04:00 |
| INSEE/Postal code | 97413 /97436 |
| Elevation | 0–2,782 m (0–9,127 ft) (avg. 4 m or 13 ft) |
| Website | saintleu.re |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Geography
Climate
Saint-Leu has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa) closely bordering on a subtropical highland climate (Cwb). The average annual temperature in Saint-Leu is 19.2 °C (66.6 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,068.8 mm (42.08 in) with January as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in February, at around 22.2 °C (72.0 °F), and lowest in August, at around 16.4 °C (61.5 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Saint-Leu was 30.9 °C (87.6 °F) on 10 January 2007; the coldest temperature ever recorded was 8.5 °C (47.3 °F) on 10 September 1975.
| Climate data for Saint-Leu (altitude 429m, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2002–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 34.1 (93.4) | 33.3 (91.9) | 32.8 (91.0) | 31.0 (87.8) | 29.6 (85.3) | 29.0 (84.2) | 27.8 (82.0) | 27.1 (80.8) | 27.9 (82.2) | 29.7 (85.5) | 31.7 (89.1) | 33.1 (91.6) | 34.1 (93.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.0 (82.4) | 28.2 (82.8) | 27.8 (82.0) | 26.9 (80.4) | 25.3 (77.5) | 23.7 (74.7) | 22.9 (73.2) | 22.9 (73.2) | 23.5 (74.3) | 24.5 (76.1) | 25.8 (78.4) | 27.3 (81.1) | 25.6 (78.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.0 (75.2) | 23.1 (73.6) | 21.4 (70.5) | 19.8 (67.6) | 18.9 (66.0) | 18.9 (66.0) | 19.4 (66.9) | 20.5 (68.9) | 21.8 (71.2) | 23.4 (74.1) | 21.7 (71.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.6 (69.1) | 20.7 (69.3) | 20.3 (68.5) | 19.2 (66.6) | 17.6 (63.7) | 15.9 (60.6) | 15.0 (59.0) | 14.8 (58.6) | 15.3 (59.5) | 16.5 (61.7) | 17.9 (64.2) | 19.5 (67.1) | 17.8 (64.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 17.4 (63.3) | 17.8 (64.0) | 16.6 (61.9) | 16.0 (60.8) | 13.8 (56.8) | 12.7 (54.9) | 11.9 (53.4) | 12.0 (53.6) | 12.6 (54.7) | 11.3 (52.3) | 14.0 (57.2) | 16.6 (61.9) | 11.3 (52.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 211.9 (8.34) | 195.1 (7.68) | 178.3 (7.02) | 101.7 (4.00) | 36.2 (1.43) | 38.1 (1.50) | 23.3 (0.92) | 20.8 (0.82) | 25.9 (1.02) | 20.5 (0.81) | 55.8 (2.20) | 90.9 (3.58) | 998.5 (39.31) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 12.7 | 12.1 | 10.7 | 7.4 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 5.4 | 8.6 | 76.7 |
| Source: Météo-France[3] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Saint-Leu (Mascarin, altitude 520m, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1992–2016) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 33.3 (91.9) | 32.3 (90.1) | 32.1 (89.8) | 29.6 (85.3) | 28.3 (82.9) | 29.2 (84.6) | 25.3 (77.5) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.9 (80.4) | 30.1 (86.2) | 31.2 (88.2) | 32.2 (90.0) | 33.3 (91.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.1 (80.8) | 25.9 (78.6) | 24.2 (75.6) | 22.4 (72.3) | 21.6 (70.9) | 21.8 (71.2) | 22.6 (72.7) | 23.5 (74.3) | 25.0 (77.0) | 26.7 (80.1) | 24.7 (76.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.2 (73.8) | 22.0 (71.6) | 20.3 (68.5) | 18.5 (65.3) | 17.6 (63.7) | 17.7 (63.9) | 18.4 (65.1) | 19.4 (66.9) | 20.8 (69.4) | 22.6 (72.7) | 20.7 (69.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 19.9 (67.8) | 20.1 (68.2) | 19.3 (66.7) | 18.1 (64.6) | 16.4 (61.5) | 14.5 (58.1) | 13.6 (56.5) | 13.6 (56.5) | 14.2 (57.6) | 15.3 (59.5) | 16.7 (62.1) | 18.6 (65.5) | 16.7 (62.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 16.8 (62.2) | 16.1 (61.0) | 16.3 (61.3) | 14.1 (57.4) | 12.4 (54.3) | 11.4 (52.5) | 10.0 (50.0) | 11.0 (51.8) | 10.7 (51.3) | 11.4 (52.5) | 12.8 (55.0) | 15.5 (59.9) | 10.0 (50.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 161.6 (6.36) | 197.7 (7.78) | 124.6 (4.91) | 65.4 (2.57) | 38.5 (1.52) | 27.1 (1.07) | 19.1 (0.75) | 17.7 (0.70) | 18.8 (0.74) | 17.7 (0.70) | 30.6 (1.20) | 90.6 (3.57) | 809.4 (31.87) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 10.9 | 11.2 | 8.4 | 6.0 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 4.7 | 7.5 | 65.2 |
| Source: Météo-France[4] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Saint-Leu (Colimacons, altitude 798m, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1964–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 30.9 (87.6) | 30.0 (86.0) | 29.4 (84.9) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.1 (82.6) | 28.0 (82.4) | 25.2 (77.4) | 24.6 (76.3) | 25.0 (77.0) | 28.0 (82.4) | 29.9 (85.8) | 30.1 (86.2) | 30.9 (87.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.3 (77.5) | 25.5 (77.9) | 25.1 (77.2) | 24.3 (75.7) | 22.8 (73.0) | 21.1 (70.0) | 20.3 (68.5) | 20.1 (68.2) | 20.5 (68.9) | 21.5 (70.7) | 22.7 (72.9) | 24.3 (75.7) | 22.8 (73.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 21.9 (71.4) | 22.2 (72.0) | 21.7 (71.1) | 20.8 (69.4) | 19.2 (66.6) | 17.4 (63.3) | 16.6 (61.9) | 16.4 (61.5) | 16.8 (62.2) | 17.9 (64.2) | 19.2 (66.6) | 20.9 (69.6) | 19.2 (66.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 18.6 (65.5) | 18.9 (66.0) | 18.4 (65.1) | 17.3 (63.1) | 15.5 (59.9) | 13.8 (56.8) | 12.9 (55.2) | 12.7 (54.9) | 13.2 (55.8) | 14.2 (57.6) | 15.6 (60.1) | 17.4 (63.3) | 15.7 (60.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 14.6 (58.3) | 13.5 (56.3) | 14.0 (57.2) | 12.5 (54.5) | 9.0 (48.2) | 10.0 (50.0) | 8.8 (47.8) | 9.0 (48.2) | 8.5 (47.3) | 9.7 (49.5) | 10.9 (51.6) | 13.5 (56.3) | 8.5 (47.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 240.1 (9.45) | 227.5 (8.96) | 172.1 (6.78) | 78.6 (3.09) | 36.1 (1.42) | 29.8 (1.17) | 20.5 (0.81) | 21.6 (0.85) | 19.8 (0.78) | 32.2 (1.27) | 56.6 (2.23) | 133.9 (5.27) | 1,068.8 (42.08) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 15.1 | 13.6 | 11.2 | 7.4 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 5.2 | 8.1 | 11.1 | 88.1 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 133.9 | 120.7 | 138.0 | 141.1 | 163.9 | 166.3 | 172.6 | 162.2 | 140.2 | 129.5 | 129.2 | 124.5 | 1,722.2 |
| Source 1: Météo-France[5] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Meteociel.fr (sunshine 1981-2010)[6] | |||||||||||||
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 16,137 | — |
| 1967 | 16,870 | +0.74% |
| 1974 | 17,396 | +0.44% |
| 1982 | 18,207 | +0.57% |
| 1990 | 20,931 | +1.76% |
| 1999 | 25,314 | +2.13% |
| 2007 | 29,422 | +1.90% |
| 2012 | 32,971 | +2.30% |
| 2017 | 33,576 | +0.36% |
| Source: SPLAF[7] and INSEE (1967-2017)[8] | ||
Sports
Surf
It is a well-known surf spot. Various surfing competitions have been held in Saint-Leu, including World Qualifying Series (WQS) and ASP World Tour (WCT)[9] competitions.It is well known for its famous left wave.
Paragliding
There is a paragliding base at Colimaçons.Paragliding World Cup races have been held in Saint-Leu in 2003 and 2006, and Pre World Cup Tour race in 2010[10] and 2015.[11]In 2016 the city will held again a Paragliding World Cup race (October 2016).[12]
Points of interest
- Conservatoire botanique national de Mascarin
- Kélonia Marine Turtle Station
- Museum Stella Matutina
Neighborhoods of Saint Leu
- Downtown Saint-Leu
- Chaloupe Saint-Leu
- Pointe au Sel
- Bras Mouton;
- Bac en fer
- Cap Saint-Leu
- La Fontaine
- L'Etang Saint-Leu
- La Pointe des Châteaux
- Les Colimaçons
- Le Plate
- Grand Fond
- Stella Matutina
- Le Portail
- Piton Saint-Leu
Gallery
See also
References
External links
Media related to Saint-Leu (Réunion) at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website (in French)