French Indian Ocean weather published Tuesday, May 3 the rainfall report on the island for this April. And this is a record: April was the rainiest month in 50 years, with 240% of normal rainfall. In total, Reunion recorded 541 mm of rainfall, while the normal is 226 mm.

Nothing surprising considering the rainy episodes at the beginning of the month, from April 1 to 3, particularly in Salazie. Over the next two days, rainfall continued in the east, with an accumulation of one meter of water recorded in just five days.

But Météo France Océan Indien recorded three other major rainy episodes during the month. The 13th and 14th April in particular, which had irrigated most of the eastern half of the island, preceded another episode still to the east, on the 17th (mainly towards the volcano). Finally, a final episode appeared again in the eastern part of the island, on April 21 and 22.

Thus, April 2022 broke the record “at many stations” according to Météo France Indian Ocean. We have to go back to April 1987 to find rainfall like that in Reunion.

Thus, the weather service keeps these monthly records for April:

2700 mm at Hauts de Sainte-Rose (1st place for 48 years)

1903 mm in Takamaka (1 out of 50)

1683 mm in Bellecombe-Jacob (first row of 55)

1408 mm in Bellevue Bras-Panon (first row of 31)

1164 mm in Mare di Vieille Place (first row of 32)

1039 mm in Menciol (first row of 69)

723 mm in Plaine des Chicots (first row of 39)

Other important values:

873 mm in Bagatelle (2nd out of 69 years)

523 mm at Gillot-Airport (3rd place out of 69)

Number of days with at least 1 mm of rainfall:

27 days at Gros-Piton Sainte-Rose (first place of 34 years)

24 days on the Plaine des Palmistes (third place out of 70)

23 days in Beauvallon (third place out of 700)

Although the rainy season assessment is still in the finalization stage, Météo France Océan Indien has been able to show that this season “ranked 5th among the wettest, which is very beneficial for water resources after 3 seasons with a deficit“.