Parakou weather in March

In March, Parakou sees average daytime highs of 36°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 25 mm of rain across 4.5 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 36°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in March, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 48 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Parakou's 5th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Parakou's year-round climate.

Daytime high
36°
1st warmest
Overnight low
24°
11th coldest
Rainfall
25 mm
4.5 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
7:01 AM – 6:57 PM
Cloud cover
59%
5th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
6.26 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.2
out of 10

Parakou is city in Benin.

Density
579/km²
people per km²
Founded
1500

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 36°C through the month.

A typical March day in Parakou reaches about 36°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 34°C and 38°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs on par with February and about 1°C warmer than April.

20°25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13624
23624
33624
43624
53624
63624
73624
83624
93624
103624
113624
123624
133624
143624
153624
163624
173624
183624
193624
203624
213624
223624
233625
243625
253625
263625
273625
283625
293625
303625
313625

How March really feels in Parakou

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 31 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
31
1 feel dangerously hot (≥ 39°C)
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in March is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Parakou weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 1st-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan34° / 20°20.211.54.2
Feb35° / 22°61.311.72.9
Mar36° / 24°254.511.92.2
Apr35° / 24°7012.312.22.4
May33° / 24°12719.112.42.8
Jun31° / 23°13619.512.53.5
Jul29° / 22°20725.412.53.4
Aug29° / 22°24926.712.33.4
Sep30° / 22°22224.312.13.2
Oct32° / 22°9815.311.83.6
Nov34° / 21°61.611.63.8
Dec34° / 20°20.311.54.2

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 29% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 52%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15644
25644
35644
45743
55644
65644
75545
85446
95347
105149
115149
124951
134852
144753
154654
164456
174456
184357
194357
204357
214357
224456
234456
244456
254555
264456
274555
284555
294555
304555
314555

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Parakou gets around 25 mm of rain over 4.5 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 16% and peaks near 24% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
18
28
39
410
510
611
711
812
912
1013
1114
1215
1315
1416
1517
1618
1718
1818
1918
2018
2118
2218
2318
2418
2519
2620
2720
2821
2922
3023
3124

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of March feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, March lands in the muggy band about 44% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 70% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
12782035100
22582036110
32472037120
42272037140
52172038150
62061939160
71961939170
81861840180
91761741190
101661741200
111561642210
121461542230
131361443240
141361343250
151261344260
161161245260
171061146270
181051146270
19951047280
20851048280
2185949290
2275950290
2364951300
2464850320
2554850330
2644749351
2743749371
2833648391
2933647411
3023646431
3122544451

Wind in March

Winds average 8 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 48 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 18 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 7:09 AM to 6:52 AM, and sunset from 6:57 PM to 6:57 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.87:096:57
211.87:086:57
311.87:086:57
411.87:076:57
511.87:076:57
611.87:066:57
711.97:066:57
811.97:056:57
911.97:056:57
1011.97:046:57
1111.97:046:57
1211.97:036:57
1311.97:036:57
1411.97:026:57
1511.97:026:57
1611.97:016:57
1711.97:006:57
1812.07:006:57
1912.06:596:57
2012.06:596:57
2112.06:586:57
2212.06:586:57
2312.06:576:57
2412.06:566:57
2512.06:566:57
2612.06:556:57
2712.06:556:57
2812.06:546:57
2912.16:546:57
3012.16:536:57
3112.16:526:57

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 6.26 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4 kWh/m² to a high of 6.27 kWh/m² in February across the year — March's 6.26 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.3Intense
26.3Intense
36.3Intense
46.3Intense
56.3Intense
66.3Intense
76.3Intense
86.2Intense
96.2Intense
106.2Intense
116.2Intense
126.2Intense
136.2Intense
146.2Intense
156.2Intense
166.2Intense
176.2Intense
186.2Intense
196.2Intense
206.2Intense
216.3Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.3Intense
256.3Intense
266.3Intense
276.3Intense
286.3Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Parakou

In seasonPeak

In March, Parakou sits inside its dust season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Parakou's monsoon runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Parakou sees seasonal dust haze (January–May), heaviest in February.

Monsoon
Dust
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is March a good time to visit Parakou?

Our two travel scores rate March for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

2.2
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
5.3
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Parakou.

What to pack for Parakou in March

From March's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In March, Parakou sees daytime highs around 36°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 5 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Parakou in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Parakou peaks around March 22 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 8 (very high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highMar 22UV 13Dec 17UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan9Very high
Feb10Very high
Mar13Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec8Very high

Air quality in Parakou in March

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where March falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Parakou is worst in February — around 85 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 5.0× the cleanest month (August, 17 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0306090JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorModeratePoorUnhealthyFeb 1183 µg/m³Aug 1017 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan75Unhealthy
Feb85Unhealthy
Mar49Poor
Apr41Poor
May25Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep20Moderate
Oct34Moderate
Nov40Poor
Dec63Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Parakou?

Parakou sits at 9.3°N, 2.6°E, 369 m above sea level, in Benin. The nearest listed city is Tchaourou, 50 km away.

TchaourouNdaliOkutaPèrèrèNikkiOuesséBembèrèkèTobré

Topography around Parakou

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Parakou.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Parakou has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 80 m around an average of 364 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 108 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 406 m.

The land around Parakou is covered by artificial surfaces (71%) within 3 km, cropland (31%), shrubs (30%) and trees (26%) within 16 km, and shrubs (42%), trees (28%) and cropland (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
80 m
16 km
108 m
80 km
406 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
March weather nearby: Tchaourou 50 km · Ndali 59 km · Okuta 64 km · Pèrèrè 64 km · Nikki 92 km · Ouessé 97 km · Bembèrèkè 99 km · Tobré 110 km

Benin travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / E
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 34% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$1,658
2025
Happiness
4.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
18%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.1
per 100k, 2017
Road deaths
26.8
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 406
Religion
Muslim 28%Roman Catholic 26%Protestant 14%Vodoun 12%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Parakou (9.3372°, 2.6303°, elevation 369 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).