Mali weather by month

In Bamako, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year begins around October 22 and lasts for 6.2 months, ending around April 29. The clearest month is February, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 81% of the time on average.

The cloudier part of the year begins around April 30 and lasts for 5.7 months, ending around October 21. The cloudiest month is August, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 80% of the time.

This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.

Across the year, average wind speed in Bamako is typically calm, near 9 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.

The windier part of the year lasts 7.2 months, from around Nov 20 to Jun 25. The windiest month is February, averaging about 11 km/h (calm).

The calmer part of the year runs from around Jun 26 to Nov 19, with September the calmest month at about 7 km/h.

Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.

Bamako receives about 5.9 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.7 and 6.9 kWh/m².

The brighter stretch of the year lasts 4.9 months, from around Jan 31 to Jun 28. The brightest month is March, averaging about 6.8 kWh/m² (intense).

The dimmest month is August, down near 4.8 kWh/m² — roughly 29% less than the March peak.