The Climate of
The Republic of the Congo
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Climate Map
Climate map of the Republic of the Congo
What is the climate of The Republic of the Congo like?
The Republic of the Congo (not be confused with the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo) lies between 4°N and 5°S in central Africa and has the river Congo and its tributary the Ubangui as its southeastern border. It is bounded on the north by Cameroon and the Central African Republic, on the east and south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on and on the west by Gabon. It is a little larger than the United Kingdom but is sparsely populated. Most of the country is a low plateau between 200 and 1,000 meters (650–3,250 feet) above sea level. There is a low coastal plain on the Atlantic coast. The weather and climate of the country are similar to those of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Congo has a tropical climate characterized by constantly high temperatures and humidity. At Brazzaville in the south, the average daily maximum temperature is 30°C (86°F) and the average minimum temperature is 20°C (68°F). These tempertures are approximately the same in the far north.
Annual rainfall varies from 1,000 mm (40 inches) at Pointe-Noire, in the southwest, to 1,800 mm (70 inches) at Impfondo, in the northeast. Rainfall is least in the south of the country and along the coast. Brazzaville is representative of the south of the country. There is a dry season from June to September and a rainy season from October to May. In the north, the seasons are reversed, and the dry season lasts from December to February. The equator receives rain throughout the year.
| Climate data for Brazzaville (1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 30.5 (86.9) | 31.3 (88.3) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.8 (89.2) | 30.9 (87.6) | 28.4 (83.1) | 27.0 (80.6) | 28.5 (83.3) | 30.4 (86.7) | 30.8 (87.4) | 30.4 (86.7) | 30.2 (86.4) | 30.2 (86.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.0 (78.8) | 26.4 (79.5) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.2 (79.2) | 23.8 (74.8) | 22.4 (72.3) | 23.6 (74.5) | 25.5 (77.9) | 26.1 (79.0) | 25.9 (78.6) | 25.8 (78.4) | 25.4 (77.7) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 21.4 (70.5) | 21.5 (70.7) | 21.7 (71.1) | 21.9 (71.4) | 21.6 (70.9) | 19.3 (66.7) | 17.8 (64.0) | 18.8 (65.8) | 20.6 (69.1) | 21.4 (70.5) | 21.4 (70.5) | 21.5 (70.7) | 20.7 (69.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 160 (6.3) | 137 (5.4) | 167 (6.6) | 191 (7.5) | 118 (4.6) | 8 (0.3) | 3 (0.1) | 4 (0.2) | 34 (1.3) | 139 (5.5) | 261 (10.3) | 172 (6.8) | 1,394 (54.9) |
| Source: Deutscher Wetterdienst | |||||||||||||
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
The Republic of the Congo
In summary:
The Congo has a tropical climate characterized by constantly high temperatures and humidity. At Brazzaville in the south, the average daily maximum temperature is 30°C (86°F) and the average minimum temperature is 20°C (68°F).
In the south there is a long dry season from June to October. In the north, the seasons are reversed. The equator region receives rain throughout the year. Annual rainfall varies from 1050 mm (41 in) at Pointe-Noire, in the southwest, to 1850 mm (73 in) at Impfondo, in the northeast.