Saint-Philippe


Saint-Philippe is a commune in the French overseas department of Réunion. It is located in the southeast of the island.

Geography

Saint-Philippe is on the highest point on the island. It borders the municipalities of Saint-Joseph and Sainte-Rose, to the west and north respectively. Although it is a coastal area, the administrative center is in Les Hauts.

Climate

Saint-Philippe has a tropical rainforest climate. The average annual temperature in Saint-Philippe is. The average annual rainfall is with March as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in January, at around, and lowest in July, at around. The highest temperature ever recorded in Saint-Philippe was on 10 December 2019; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 20 August 2008.

History

A notable event in the commune's history was in 1897, when the British troopship RIMS Warren Hastings ran aground in the middle of the night. Two seamen died as a result, the crash sparked by a compass malfunction resulting from the eruption of the Piton de [la Fournaise]. On board the ship was some electricity, for which the village of Tremblet would have to wait until 1984 to finally receive.

Population