The Climate of
The Gambia
Kololi beach
Climate Map
Climate map of Gambia
What is the climate of The Gambia like?
The Gambia is a tiny country situated on the west coast of Africa on 13°N. It is entirely surrounded by Senegal and extends in a narrow strip inland on either side of the Gambia river. It is about the same size as the county of Yorkshire or the state of Connecticut. It has climate and weather similar to that of central Senegal.
The Gambia has a subtropical climate with distinct cool and hot seasons. From November to mid-May there is uninterrupted dry weather, with temperatures as low as 16°C (61°F). Hot, humid weather predominates the rest of the year, with a rainy season from June to October; during this period, temperatures may rise as high as 40°C (104°F) but are usually lower near the sea. Mean temperatures range from 23°C (73°F) in January to 27°C (81°F) in June along the coast, and from 24°C (75°F) in January to 32°C (90°F) in May inland.
The average annual rainfall ranges from 920 millimeters (36 inches) in the interior of the country to 1,450 millimeters (57 inches) along the coast. Rainfall has decreased in recent years. Most of the rain falls from June to October. There is rarely any rain in the other months. The dry east wind known as the harmattan blows intermittently from December to March.
Banjul is representative of the whole country. The mean annual temperature here is 26°C (79°F).
| Climate data for Banjul | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 31.7 (89.1) | 33.5 (92.3) | 33.9 (93.0) | 33.0 (91.4) | 31.9 (89.4) | 31.9 (89.4) | 30.8 (87.4) | 30.2 (86.4) | 31.0 (87.8) | 31.8 (89.2) | 32.7 (90.9) | 31.9 (89.4) | 32.0 (89.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 23.7 (74.7) | 25.1 (77.2) | 25.9 (78.6) | 25.9 (78.6) | 26.1 (79.0) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.2 (81.0) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.8 (80.2) | 27.0 (80.6) | 25.8 (78.4) | 24.1 (75.4) | 26.0 (78.8) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 15.7 (60.3) | 16.6 (61.9) | 17.9 (64.2) | 18.8 (65.8) | 20.3 (68.5) | 22.9 (73.2) | 23.6 (74.5) | 23.3 (73.9) | 22.6 (72.7) | 22.2 (72.0) | 18.8 (65.8) | 16.2 (61.2) | 19.9 (67.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 0.5 (0.02) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.3 (0.05) | 62.7 (2.47) | 232.4 (9.15) | 346.8 (13.65) | 255.1 (10.04) | 75.8 (2.98) | 1.6 (0.06) | 0.7 (0.03) | 976.9 (38.46) |
| Source: World Meteorological Organization | |||||||||||||
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 Gambia
In summary:
The Gambia has a subtropical climate with two distinct seasons. Hot, humid weather predominates in the rainy season from June to October. From November to mid-May there is uninterrupted cooler, dry weather.