Introduction
For the yacht of the same name, see Ouvéa (ship). For the island in New Caledonia, see Ouvéa Island. For the island and chiefdom in Wallis & Futuna, see Wallis (island) and Uvea (Wallis and Futuna).
For the languages, see East Uvean and West Uvean.
Commune of New Caledonia
Commune in New Caledonia, FranceOuvéaCommuneMouli BridgeLocation of the commune (in red) within New CaledoniaLocation of OuvéaCoordinates: 20°39′08″S 166°33′43″E / 20.6522°S 166.5619°E / -20.6522; 166.5619CountryFranceSui generis collectivityNew CaledoniaProvinceLoyalty Islands ProvinceGovernment • Mayor (2020–2026) Maurice TillewaArea1132.1 km2 (51.0 sq mi)Population (2019 census)3,401 • Density25.75/km2 (66.68/sq mi)Ethnic distribution • 2019 censusKanaks 90.91%Europeans 0.47%Wallisians and Futunans 0.03%Mixed 3.97%Other 4.62%Time zoneUTC+11:00INSEE/Postal code98820 /98814Elevation0–46 m (0–151 ft) (avg. 2 m or 6.6 ft)1 New Caledonia Land Register (DITTT) data, which exclude lakes and ponds larger than 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) as well as the estuaries of rivers.
Ouvéa or Uvea (West Uvean: [uˈve.a], Iaai: Iaai, Eaje) is a commune in the Loyalty Islands Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The settlement of Fayaoué [faˈjawe], on Ouvéa Island, is the administrative centre of the commune.
Geography
[edit]
Ouvéa is made up of Ouvéa Island, the smaller Mouli Island and Faiava Island, and several islets around these three. All lie among the Loyalty Islands, to the northeast of New Caledonia's mainland.
Important Bird Area[edit]
Ouvea has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports populations of red-bellied fruit doves, Ouvea parakeets, grey-eared honeyeaters, New Caledonian friarbirds, cardinal myzomelas, fan-tailed gerygones, long-tailed trillers, streaked fantails, Melanesian flycatchers and striated starlings.
Climate[edit]
Ouvéa has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am). The average annual temperature in Ouvéa is 24.6 °C (76.3 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,345.3 mm (52.96 in) with March as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in February, at around 27.4 °C (81.3 °F), and lowest in July, at around 21.6 °C (70.9 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Ouvéa was 35.3 °C (95.5 °F) on 7 February 2016; the coldest temperature ever recorded was 6.4 °C (43.5 °F) on 10 August 1981.
Climate data for Ouvéa (Ouloup, 1991–2020 averages, extremes 1971−present)
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Record high °C (°F)
34.0(93.2)
35.3(95.5)
33.4(92.1)
33.2(91.8)
31.0(87.8)
29.7(85.5)
29.1(84.4)
29.3(84.7)
31.0(87.8)
31.3(88.3)
32.5(90.5)
33.9(93.0)
35.3(95.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
30.3(86.5)
30.6(87.1)
29.9(85.8)
28.8(83.8)
27.1(80.8)
25.8(78.4)
25.0(77.0)
25.1(77.2)
26.2(79.2)
27.4(81.3)
28.5(83.3)
29.7(85.5)
27.9(82.2)
Daily mean °C (°F)
27.1(80.8)
27.4(81.3)
27.0(80.6)
26.0(78.8)
24.1(75.4)
22.7(72.9)
21.6(70.9)
21.6(70.9)
22.5(72.5)
23.9(75.0)
25.1(77.2)
26.4(79.5)
24.6(76.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
23.9(75.0)
24.3(75.7)
24.1(75.4)
23.1(73.6)
21.2(70.2)
19.6(67.3)
18.1(64.6)
18.2(64.8)
18.8(65.8)
20.3(68.5)
21.7(71.1)
23.0(73.4)
21.4(70.5)
Record low °C (°F)
15.5(59.9)
15.7(60.3)
13.7(56.7)
12.5(54.5)
9.7(49.5)
8.4(47.1)
7.3(45.1)
6.4(43.5)
8.1(46.6)
8.5(47.3)
10.2(50.4)
12.3(54.1)
6.4(43.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches)
167.1(6.58)
164.8(6.49)
199.6(7.86)
155.7(6.13)
111.0(4.37)
98.6(3.88)
69.1(2.72)
85.0(3.35)
60.0(2.36)
52.4(2.06)
76.4(3.01)
105.6(4.16)
1,345.3(52.96)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)
11.1
12.0
13.2
10.3
9.2
7.8
7.1
6.0
4.8
5.7
6.3
8.3
101.6
Source: Météo-France
