The Climate of
Burkina Faso
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Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
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Climate Map
Climate map of Burkina Faso
What is the climate of Burkina Faso like?
Burkina Faso is a small landlocked country about the size of the United Kingdom. It is situated in interior West Africa and is bordered by Mali and Niger on the north and by Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana on the south. It has a typical tropical climate with a single rainy season and a long dry season.
High temperatures are typical in Burkina Faso, especially during the dry season. From March to May the harmattan, a dry east wind, contributes to considerably hot temperatures that reach 40°C (104°F) or more. From May to October, the weather is hot, but wet; and from November to March, it is dry and comfortable.
The heat is most uncomfortable during the period May to October, when humidity and cloud are greatest. During the low-sun period from November to March, drier air is brought by the northeasterly harmattan, although on occasions this also brings unpleasant conditions with dust-laden air. Hours of sunshine are greatest during the dry season, when they average eight to nine hours a day as compared with six to seven hours during the rainy season.
The average annual rainfall varies from 1,150 millimeters (45 inches) in the southwest to less than 250 millimeters (10 inches) in the extreme north and northeast portion of the country. The humidity, which increases as one moves south, ranges from a winter lows of 12% to 45% to a rainy season highs of 68% to 96%. The country suffers from recurring droughts. The rainy season lasts from four months in the northeast to six months in the southwest, from May through October.
| Climate data for Ouagadougou (1971-2000) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 32.9 (91.2) | 35.8 (96.4) | 38.3 (100.9) | 39.3 (102.7) | 37.7 (99.9) | 34.7 (94.5) | 32.1 (89.8) | 31.1 (88.0) | 32.5 (90.5) | 35.6 (96.1) | 35.9 (96.6) | 33.4 (92.1) | 34.9 (94.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.7 (76.5) | 27.5 (81.5) | 30.9 (87.6) | 32.9 (91.2) | 31.9 (89.4) | 29.4 (84.9) | 27.5 (81.5) | 26.7 (80.1) | 27.5 (81.5) | 29.3 (84.7) | 27.8 (82.0) | 25.2 (77.4) | 28.4 (83.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 16.5 (61.7) | 19.1 (66.4) | 23.5 (74.3) | 26.4 (79.5) | 26.1 (79.0) | 24.1 (75.4) | 22.8 (73.0) | 22.2 (72.0) | 22.4 (72.3) | 23.0 (73.4) | 19.6 (67.3) | 16.9 (62.4) | 21.9 (71.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 0.1 (0.00) | 0.5 (0.02) | 5.9 (0.23) | 26.5 (1.04) | 66.8 (2.63) | 97.5 (3.84) | 176.2 (6.94) | 214.2 (8.43) | 121.2 (4.77) | 33.5 (1.32) | 1.2 (0.05) | 0.2 (0.01) | 743.8 (29.28) |
| Source: World Meteorological Organization | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Banfora | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 33.6 (92.5) | 35.7 (96.3) | 36.9 (98.4) | 36.8 (98.2) | 35 (95) | 32.6 (90.7) | 30.8 (87.4) | 30.2 (86.4) | 31.1 (88.0) | 33.3 (91.9) | 34.9 (94.8) | 33.6 (92.5) | 33.7 (92.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.4 (77.7) | 27.8 (82.0) | 29.9 (85.8) | 30.7 (87.3) | 29.5 (85.1) | 27.5 (81.5) | 26.3 (79.3) | 25.9 (78.6) | 26.3 (79.3) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.4 (81.3) | 25.5 (77.9) | 27.5 (81.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 17.3 (63.1) | 19.9 (67.8) | 23 (73) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24 (75) | 22.5 (72.5) | 21.9 (71.4) | 21.6 (70.9) | 21.5 (70.7) | 21.6 (70.9) | 19.9 (67.8) | 17.4 (63.3) | 21.3 (70.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 1 (0.0) | 5 (0.2) | 22 (0.9) | 56 (2.2) | 109 (4.3) | 136 (5.4) | 209 (8.2) | 282 (11.1) | 187 (7.4) | 64 (2.5) | 12 (0.5) | 3 (0.1) | 1,086 (42.8) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org | |||||||||||||
References
- E. A. Pearce, Charles Gordon Smith, (1990) The Hutchinson World Weather Guide, John Murray Press. ISBN 1859863426
- Timothy L. Gall, (ed.), (2003), Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Eleventh Edition, Thomson Gale
- Hugh Chisholm, (ed.), (1911), Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh edition, Cambridge University Press
The Climate of
Burkina Faso
In summary:
The climate is one of high temperatures, especially at the end of the dry season. The harmattan, a dry east wind, brings with it spells of considerable heat from March to May; from May to October, the climate is hot and wet, and from November to March, comfortable and dry.
Average annual rainfall varies from 1,150 mm (45 in) in the southwest to less than 250 mm (10 in) in the extreme north and northeast. The rainy season lasts from four months to six months, from May through October. Droughts are common.