Timbuktu in Summer
In summer (June, July and August), Timbuktu sees average daytime highs around 39°C and overnight lows near 28°C, with 77 mm of rain over about 17 wet days across the season. It is the warmest season of the year and the wettest season of the year.
Over the season highs ease from about 41°C in early June to 37°C by late August. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 68% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels muggy.
Summer is Timbuktu's weakest season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Timbuktu's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 39°C
- warmest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 28°C
- Rainfall
- 77 mm
- 17 wet days
- Avg wind
- 15 km/h
- Travel score
- 1.0
- weakest season of the year
- Months
- Jun · Jul · Aug
Temperature in Timbuktu in Summer
Over the season highs ease from about 41°C in early June to 37°C by late August.
A typical summer day in Timbuktu reaches about 39°C and drops to 28°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is June, the coolest August.
How summer really feels in Timbuktu
Once humidity and wind are folded in, summer brings about 92 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in summer is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Timbuktu weather by month
How the three summer months (June, July and August) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28° / 15° | 1 | 0.1 | 11.1 | 7.8 |
| Feb | 31° / 17° | 0 | 0 | 11.4 | 5.7 |
| Mar | 35° / 21° | 0 | 0.1 | 11.9 | 3.1 |
| Apr | 39° / 25° | 0 | 0.1 | 12.4 | 0.6 |
| May | 41° / 28° | 2 | 0.6 | 12.8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 41° / 30° | 5 | 2.2 | 13 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 38° / 28° | 25 | 5.5 | 12.9 | 1.0 |
| Aug | 37° / 27° | 47 | 8.8 | 12.6 | 1.9 |
| Sep | 38° / 27° | 16 | 3.7 | 12.1 | 1.3 |
| Oct | 38° / 25° | 3 | 0.9 | 11.6 | 1.5 |
| Nov | 34° / 20° | 0 | 0 | 11.2 | 3.9 |
| Dec | 30° / 16° | 0 | 0 | 11 | 6.7 |
Cloud cover in Summer
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 68% of the time across summer.
Chance of precipitation in Summer
Timbuktu gets around 77 mm of rain over 17 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Summer
Most of summer feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Summer
Winds average 15 km/h across summer.
Sunrise & sunset in Summer
Daylight runs from about 12 h 54 min in early June to 12 h 18 min by late August. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Summer
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across summer, about 6.9 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Timbuktu
In summer, Timbuktu overlaps its dust season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Timbuktu sees dust haze year-round, heaviest in June.
Is summer a good time to visit Timbuktu?
Our two travel scores rate summer for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
summer is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Timbuktu.
What to pack for Timbuktu in Summer
From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In summer, Timbuktu sees daytime highs around 39°C and nights near 28°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 17 days see rain.
UV index in Timbuktu in Summer
Clear-sky midday UV across summer averages around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Timbuktu peaks around March 20 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 7 (very high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 8 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 7 |
| Level | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Very high |
| Feb | 10 | Very high |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 11 | Extreme |
| Nov | 8 | Very high |
| Dec | 7 | High |
Air quality in Timbuktu in Summer
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where summer falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Timbuktu is worst in February — around 92 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 3.6× the cleanest month (August, 25 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 89 | 92 | 84 | 65 | 67 | 57 | 36 | 25 | 27 | 50 | 52 | 78 |
| Level | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Unhealthy |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 89 | Unhealthy |
| Feb | 92 | Unhealthy |
| Mar | 84 | Unhealthy |
| Apr | 65 | Unhealthy |
| May | 67 | Unhealthy |
| Jun | 57 | Unhealthy |
| Jul | 36 | Poor |
| Aug | 25 | Moderate |
| Sep | 27 | Moderate |
| Oct | 50 | Poor |
| Nov | 52 | Poor |
| Dec | 78 | Unhealthy |
Where is Timbuktu?
Timbuktu sits at 16.8°N, 3.0°W, 274 m above sea level, in Mali. The nearest listed city is Diré, 71 km away.
Topography around Timbuktu
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Timbuktu.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Timbuktu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 19 m around an average of 263 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 21 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 294 m.
The land around Timbuktu is covered by bare terrain (78%) within 3 km, bare terrain (45%) and grassland (42%) within 16 km, and grassland (52%) and bare terrain (42%) within 80 km.
Mali travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 4
- Do Not Travel
- Power plugs
- Type C / E
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 34% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $1,193
- 2025
- Happiness
- 4.6 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Road deaths
- 22.7
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Low
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 408
- Religion
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 Timbuktu (16.7735°, -3.0074°, elevation 274 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.