Nouakchott weather in January
In January, Nouakchott sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 2 mm of rain across 0.3 wet days and about 11 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.
Daylight stretches from about 10 h 54 min at the start of January to 11 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Nouakchott's 10th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Nouakchott's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 26°
- 12th warmest
- Overnight low
- 17°
- 1st coldest
- Rainfall
- 2 mm
- 0.3 wet days
- Daylight
- 11 hours
- 7:42 AM – 6:44 PM
- Cloud cover
- 36%
- 10th clearest
- Wind
- 21 km/h
- 7th windiest
- Solar energy
- 5.16 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 8.6
- out of 10
Nouakchott is capital of Mauritania.
- Density
- 1,185/km²
- people per km²
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in January
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month.
A typical January day in Nouakchott reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C cooler than December and about 1°C cooler than February.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 |
| Avg low (°C) | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | 18 |
| 2 | 26 | 17 |
| 3 | 26 | 17 |
| 4 | 26 | 17 |
| 5 | 26 | 17 |
| 6 | 26 | 17 |
| 7 | 26 | 17 |
| 8 | 26 | 17 |
| 9 | 26 | 17 |
| 10 | 26 | 17 |
| 11 | 26 | 17 |
| 12 | 26 | 17 |
| 13 | 26 | 17 |
| 14 | 26 | 17 |
| 15 | 26 | 17 |
| 16 | 26 | 17 |
| 17 | 26 | 17 |
| 18 | 26 | 17 |
| 19 | 26 | 17 |
| 20 | 26 | 17 |
| 21 | 26 | 17 |
| 22 | 26 | 17 |
| 23 | 26 | 17 |
| 24 | 26 | 17 |
| 25 | 26 | 17 |
| 26 | 26 | 17 |
| 27 | 26 | 17 |
| 28 | 26 | 17 |
| 29 | 26 | 17 |
| 30 | 27 | 17 |
| 31 | 27 | 17 |
How January really feels in Nouakchott
Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Nouakchott weather by month
How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26° / 17° | 2 | 0.3 | 11 | 8.6 |
| Feb | 27° / 18° | 1 | 0.3 | 11.4 | 8.3 |
| Mar | 29° / 19° | 0 | 0.1 | 11.9 | 7.5 |
| Apr | 29° / 20° | 0 | 0 | 12.4 | 7.1 |
| May | 30° / 21° | 0 | 0 | 12.8 | 6.5 |
| Jun | 31° / 23° | 0 | 0 | 13.1 | 6.0 |
| Jul | 30° / 24° | 2 | 0.4 | 13 | 6.9 |
| Aug | 31° / 26° | 13 | 2.4 | 12.6 | 5.9 |
| Sep | 32° / 26° | 18 | 2.8 | 12.1 | 4.7 |
| Oct | 33° / 25° | 6 | 1.1 | 11.6 | 4.5 |
| Nov | 31° / 22° | 1 | 0.2 | 11.1 | 6.0 |
| Dec | 27° / 19° | 4 | 0.3 | 10.9 | 8.1 |
Cloud cover in January
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time in January.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 31%.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 66 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 70 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 68 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 70 |
| Cloudier (%) | 34 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 66 | 34 |
| 2 | 66 | 34 |
| 3 | 67 | 33 |
| 4 | 68 | 32 |
| 5 | 68 | 32 |
| 6 | 68 | 32 |
| 7 | 68 | 32 |
| 8 | 68 | 32 |
| 9 | 69 | 31 |
| 10 | 69 | 31 |
| 11 | 69 | 31 |
| 12 | 69 | 31 |
| 13 | 70 | 30 |
| 14 | 69 | 31 |
| 15 | 69 | 31 |
| 16 | 69 | 31 |
| 17 | 69 | 31 |
| 18 | 68 | 32 |
| 19 | 69 | 31 |
| 20 | 69 | 31 |
| 21 | 69 | 31 |
| 22 | 69 | 31 |
| 23 | 70 | 30 |
| 24 | 70 | 30 |
| 25 | 70 | 30 |
| 26 | 70 | 30 |
| 27 | 71 | 29 |
| 28 | 71 | 29 |
| 29 | 71 | 29 |
| 30 | 71 | 29 |
| 31 | 70 | 30 |
Chance of precipitation in January
Nouakchott gets around 2 mm of rain over 0.3 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 1% and peaks near 1% on the wettest days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 1 |
| 3 | 1 |
| 4 | 1 |
| 5 | 1 |
| 6 | 1 |
| 7 | 1 |
| 8 | 1 |
| 9 | 1 |
| 10 | 1 |
| 11 | 1 |
| 12 | 1 |
| 13 | 1 |
| 14 | 1 |
| 15 | 1 |
| 16 | 1 |
| 17 | 1 |
| 18 | 1 |
| 19 | 1 |
| 20 | 1 |
| 21 | 1 |
| 22 | 1 |
| 23 | 1 |
| 24 | 1 |
| 25 | 1 |
| 26 | 1 |
| 27 | 1 |
| 28 | 1 |
| 29 | 0 |
| 30 | 0 |
| 31 | 0 |
Humidity in January
Most of January feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, January lands in the dry band about 91% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 91 | 91 | 91 | 91 | 92 | 92 | 93 | 93 | 93 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 93 | 93 | 93 | 94 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 91 | 91 | 90 | 89 | 89 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 87 |
| Comfortable (%) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| Humid (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Muggy (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 91 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 91 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | 91 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | 91 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | 92 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | 92 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 7 | 93 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | 93 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | 93 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | 92 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 11 | 92 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 12 | 92 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 13 | 92 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 14 | 93 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | 93 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | 93 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | 94 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | 92 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 19 | 92 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | 92 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 21 | 92 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 22 | 92 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 23 | 91 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 24 | 91 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 25 | 90 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| 26 | 89 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | 89 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 28 | 88 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 29 | 88 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 30 | 88 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 31 | 87 | 8 | 5 | 0 |
Wind in January
Winds average 21 km/h in January.
Across January, daily wind ranges from about 21 km/h on the calmest days to 21 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| Feels | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | breezy |
| 2 | 21 | breezy |
| 3 | 21 | breezy |
| 4 | 21 | breezy |
| 5 | 21 | breezy |
| 6 | 21 | breezy |
| 7 | 21 | breezy |
| 8 | 21 | breezy |
| 9 | 21 | breezy |
| 10 | 21 | breezy |
| 11 | 21 | breezy |
| 12 | 21 | breezy |
| 13 | 21 | breezy |
| 14 | 21 | breezy |
| 15 | 21 | breezy |
| 16 | 21 | breezy |
| 17 | 21 | breezy |
| 18 | 21 | breezy |
| 19 | 21 | breezy |
| 20 | 21 | breezy |
| 21 | 21 | breezy |
| 22 | 21 | breezy |
| 23 | 21 | breezy |
| 24 | 21 | breezy |
| 25 | 21 | breezy |
| 26 | 21 | breezy |
| 27 | 21 | breezy |
| 28 | 21 | breezy |
| 29 | 21 | breezy |
| 30 | 21 | breezy |
| 31 | 21 | breezy |
Sunrise & sunset in January
Daylight runs from about 10 h 54 min at the start of January to 11 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 18 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 7:39 AM to 7:42 AM, and sunset from 6:35 PM to 6:53 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:39 | 7:39 | 7:40 | 7:40 | 7:40 | 7:41 | 7:41 | 7:41 | 7:41 | 7:42 | 7:42 | 7:42 | 7:42 | 7:42 | 7:42 | 7:42 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:42 | 7:42 | 7:42 | 7:42 | 7:42 | 7:42 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:35 | 6:36 | 6:36 | 6:37 | 6:37 | 6:38 | 6:39 | 6:39 | 6:40 | 6:40 | 6:41 | 6:42 | 6:42 | 6:43 | 6:43 | 6:44 | 6:45 | 6:45 | 6:46 | 6:46 | 6:47 | 6:48 | 6:48 | 6:49 | 6:49 | 6:50 | 6:50 | 6:51 | 6:52 | 6:52 | 6:53 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10.9 | 7:39 | 6:35 |
| 2 | 10.9 | 7:39 | 6:36 |
| 3 | 10.9 | 7:40 | 6:36 |
| 4 | 10.9 | 7:40 | 6:37 |
| 5 | 10.9 | 7:40 | 6:37 |
| 6 | 11.0 | 7:41 | 6:38 |
| 7 | 11.0 | 7:41 | 6:39 |
| 8 | 11.0 | 7:41 | 6:39 |
| 9 | 11.0 | 7:41 | 6:40 |
| 10 | 11.0 | 7:42 | 6:40 |
| 11 | 11.0 | 7:42 | 6:41 |
| 12 | 11.0 | 7:42 | 6:42 |
| 13 | 11.0 | 7:42 | 6:42 |
| 14 | 11.0 | 7:42 | 6:43 |
| 15 | 11.0 | 7:42 | 6:43 |
| 16 | 11.0 | 7:42 | 6:44 |
| 17 | 11.0 | 7:43 | 6:45 |
| 18 | 11.0 | 7:43 | 6:45 |
| 19 | 11.1 | 7:43 | 6:46 |
| 20 | 11.1 | 7:43 | 6:46 |
| 21 | 11.1 | 7:43 | 6:47 |
| 22 | 11.1 | 7:43 | 6:48 |
| 23 | 11.1 | 7:43 | 6:48 |
| 24 | 11.1 | 7:43 | 6:49 |
| 25 | 11.1 | 7:43 | 6:49 |
| 26 | 11.1 | 7:42 | 6:50 |
| 27 | 11.1 | 7:42 | 6:50 |
| 28 | 11.1 | 7:42 | 6:51 |
| 29 | 11.2 | 7:42 | 6:52 |
| 30 | 11.2 | 7:42 | 6:52 |
| 31 | 11.2 | 7:42 | 6:53 |
Solar energy in January
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.16 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.87 kWh/m² to a high of 7.52 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 5.16 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4.9 | Bright |
| 2 | 4.9 | Bright |
| 3 | 4.9 | Bright |
| 4 | 4.9 | Bright |
| 5 | 4.9 | Bright |
| 6 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 7 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 8 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 9 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 10 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 11 | 5.0 | Bright |
| 12 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 13 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 14 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 15 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 16 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 17 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 18 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 19 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 20 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 21 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 22 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 23 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 24 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 25 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 26 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 27 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 28 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 29 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 30 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 31 | 5.5 | Bright |
Hazard calendar for Nouakchott
In January, Nouakchott sits inside its dust season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Nouakchott sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
Nouakchott sees dust haze year-round, heaviest in June.
Is January a good time to visit Nouakchott?
Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
January is one of the better times to visit Nouakchott for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Nouakchott in January
From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In January, Nouakchott sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 17°C. Worth packing: light clothes, sun protection and a windbreaker.
Sea temperature near Nouakchott in January
The nearest coast averages about 19°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 16 km away) is warmest in September at about 27°C and coldest in April near 18°C.
It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 2 to Dec 23 — about 6.7 months when the water holds above 20°C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 21 |
| Comfort | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Refreshing | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Refreshing | Refreshing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19 | Cool |
| Feb | 18 | Cool |
| Mar | 18 | Cool |
| Apr | 18 | Cool |
| May | 19 | Cool |
| Jun | 21 | Refreshing |
| Jul | 25 | Warm |
| Aug | 27 | Warm |
| Sep | 27 | Warm |
| Oct | 25 | Warm |
| Nov | 23 | Refreshing |
| Dec | 21 | Refreshing |
UV index in Nouakchott in January
Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Nouakchott peaks around March 16 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 6 (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 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Very high |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 10 | Extreme |
| May | 10 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Very high |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 10 | Very high |
| Sep | 10 | Very high |
| Oct | 9 | Very high |
| Nov | 7 | Very high |
| Dec | 6 | High |
Air quality in Nouakchott in January
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Nouakchott is worst in January — around 154 µg/m³ PM2.5 (very unhealthy), about 2.5× the cleanest month (August, 60 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) | 154 | 141 | 110 | 105 | 113 | 127 | 79 | 60 | 71 | 86 | 88 | 145 |
| Level | Very unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 154 | Very unhealthy |
| Feb | 141 | Unhealthy |
| Mar | 110 | Unhealthy |
| Apr | 105 | Unhealthy |
| May | 113 | Unhealthy |
| Jun | 127 | Unhealthy |
| Jul | 79 | Unhealthy |
| Aug | 60 | Unhealthy |
| Sep | 71 | Unhealthy |
| Oct | 86 | Unhealthy |
| Nov | 88 | Unhealthy |
| Dec | 145 | Unhealthy |
Where is Nouakchott?
Nouakchott sits at 18.1°N, 16.0°W, 10 m above sea level, in Mauritania. The nearest listed city is Tevragh Zeina, 2.0 km away.
Topography around Nouakchott
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Nouakchott.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Nouakchott has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 18 m around an average of 3 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 27 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 70 m.
The land around Nouakchott is covered by artificial surfaces (76%) and bare terrain (22%) within 3 km, bare terrain (60%) and water (30%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (65%) and water (29%) within 80 km.
Mauritania travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 3
- Reconsider Travel
- Power plugs
- Type C / E / F
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 31% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $2,198
- 2025
- Happiness
- 4.5 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 1
- per 100k, 2020
- Road deaths
- 25.6
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- 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 Nouakchott (18.0858°, -15.9785°, elevation 10 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).