Climate and average weather in Dakar
In Dakar, the summers are muggy, hot, dry, and mostly clear and the winters are mild, breezy, and clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Dakar typically varies from 20°C to 28°C, and is rarely below 18°C or above 29°C. October is the hottest month of the year, while March is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Dakar for warm-weather activities is from late October to mid July.
- Hottest
- Oct
- 28°
- Coldest
- Mar
- 20°
- Wettest
- Aug
- 124 mm
- Driest
- Apr
- 0 mm
- Rain / yr
- 260 mm
- 29 wet days
- Daylight
- 11.1–12.9 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 12 m
- 14.7°N
- Clearest
- May
- 25% cloud
Dakar is capital and the largest city of Senegal.
- Air quality
- Very high
- PM2.5 42 µg/m³ · 2018
- Density
- 33,152/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1857
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Dakar weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around late October to mid July.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Dakar, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Dakar stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is October, with an average high of 28°C and low of 27°C; the coolest is March, with an average low of 20°C and high of 21°C.
Days typically run about 1°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 25 |
| Avg low (°C) | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 23 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 21 |
| Feb | 22 | 20 |
| Mar | 21 | 20 |
| Apr | 21 | 20 |
| May | 23 | 22 |
| Jun | 25 | 24 |
| Jul | 27 | 26 |
| Aug | 28 | 26 |
| Sep | 28 | 27 |
| Oct | 28 | 27 |
| Nov | 27 | 26 |
| Dec | 25 | 23 |
How hot and cold Dakar really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, Dakar feels like about 33°C (around September 27). About 50 days a year carry some heat stress, peaking in September.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 28 | 31 | 33 | 32 | 28 | 25 |
| Air high (°C) | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 25 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 23 |
| Air low (°C) | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 23 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 |
| Feb | 21 | 22 | 20 | 20 |
| Mar | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
| Apr | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
| May | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 |
| Jun | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 |
| Jul | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 |
| Aug | 31 | 28 | 26 | 26 |
| Sep | 33 | 28 | 27 | 27 |
| Oct | 32 | 28 | 27 | 27 |
| Nov | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 |
| Dec | 25 | 25 | 23 | 23 |
Average hourly temperature in Dakar
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on October afternoons, near 28°C, and coldest before dawn in March, near 20°C.
Dakar weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22° / 21° | 2 | 0.2 | 11.2 | 8.6 |
| Feb | 22° / 20° | 1 | 0.1 | 11.5 | 8.5 |
| Mar | 21° / 20° | 0 | 0 | 11.9 | 8.7 |
| Apr | 21° / 20° | 0 | 0 | 12.3 | 8.7 |
| May | 23° / 22° | 0 | 0 | 12.7 | 9.1 |
| Jun | 25° / 24° | 1 | 0.2 | 12.9 | 9.0 |
| Jul | 27° / 26° | 27 | 4.4 | 12.8 | 7.5 |
| Aug | 28° / 26° | 124 | 11.6 | 12.5 | 6.1 |
| Sep | 28° / 27° | 82 | 9.8 | 12.1 | 6.1 |
| Oct | 28° / 27° | 22 | 2.6 | 11.7 | 7.3 |
| Nov | 27° / 26° | 0 | 0 | 11.3 | 8.1 |
| Dec | 25° / 23° | 1 | 0.2 | 11.1 | 8.6 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Dakar gets about 260 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is mostly dry, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 3.3 months, from around Jul 10 to Oct 18, peaking in August at about 44% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jan 25.
August is the wettest month by volume, with 124 mm over about 12 wet days; April is the driest, with 0 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 37 | 32 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Rain days | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | 0 |
| Feb | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 0 | 0 |
| May | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 1 | 0 |
| Jul | 14 | 4 |
| Aug | 37 | 12 |
| Sep | 32 | 10 |
| Oct | 9 | 3 |
| Nov | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 1 | 0 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Dakar collects about 260 mm of rain across 29 wet days — roughly 22 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. August is the wettest month with 124 mm, while April is the driest at just 0 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 90% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 124 | 82 | 22 | 0 | 1 |
| Rain days | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | 0 |
| Feb | 1 | 0 |
| Mar | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 0 | 0 |
| May | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 1 | 0 |
| Jul | 27 | 4 |
| Aug | 124 | 12 |
| Sep | 82 | 10 |
| Oct | 22 | 3 |
| Nov | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 1 | 0 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Dakar, 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 January 22 and lasts for 5.6 months, ending around July 11. The clearest month is May, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 85% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around July 12 and lasts for 2.8 months, ending around October 4. The cloudiest month is August, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 59% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 64 | 71 | 81 | 85 | 85 | 78 | 62 | 41 | 51 | 68 | 59 | 57 |
| Cloudier (%) | 36 | 29 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 22 | 38 | 59 | 49 | 32 | 41 | 43 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 36 |
| Feb | 71 | 29 |
| Mar | 81 | 19 |
| Apr | 85 | 15 |
| May | 85 | 15 |
| Jun | 78 | 22 |
| Jul | 62 | 38 |
| Aug | 41 | 59 |
| Sep | 51 | 49 |
| Oct | 68 | 32 |
| Nov | 59 | 41 |
| Dec | 57 | 43 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 11, brings about 12 h 54 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 11 h 06 min — a swing of roughly 1 h 48 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.2 | 11.5 | 11.9 | 12.3 | 12.7 | 12.9 | 12.8 | 12.5 | 12.1 | 11.7 | 11.3 | 11.1 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:43 | 7:39 | 7:22 | 7:00 | 6:46 | 6:44 | 6:52 | 6:59 | 7:02 | 7:05 | 7:16 | 7:32 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:56 | 7:10 | 7:16 | 7:20 | 7:26 | 7:36 | 7:39 | 7:29 | 7:07 | 6:45 | 6:34 | 6:40 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11.2 | 7:43 | 6:56 |
| Feb | 11.5 | 7:39 | 7:10 |
| Mar | 11.9 | 7:22 | 7:16 |
| Apr | 12.3 | 7:00 | 7:20 |
| May | 12.7 | 6:46 | 7:26 |
| Jun | 12.9 | 6:44 | 7:36 |
| Jul | 12.8 | 6:52 | 7:39 |
| Aug | 12.5 | 6:59 | 7:29 |
| Sep | 12.1 | 7:02 | 7:07 |
| Oct | 11.7 | 7:05 | 6:45 |
| Nov | 11.3 | 7:16 | 6:34 |
| Dec | 11.1 | 7:32 | 6:40 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Dakar averages about 16 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 6 and 24 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.5 months, from around Jan 17 to Jul 2. The sunniest month is May, with roughly 22 sunny days (bright).
The greyest month is August, down near 7 sunny days — about 68% fewer than the May peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 16 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 14 | 14 |
| Sky | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Mixed | Gloomy | Mixed | Bright | Mixed | Mixed |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Bright |
| Feb | 17 | Bright |
| Mar | 22 | Bright |
| Apr | 22 | Bright |
| May | 23 | Bright |
| Jun | 20 | Bright |
| Jul | 13 | Mixed |
| Aug | 7 | Gloomy |
| Sep | 10 | Mixed |
| Oct | 17 | Bright |
| Nov | 14 | Mixed |
| Dec | 14 | Mixed |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Dakar, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 8.3 months, from around March 26 to December 4. The muggiest month is May, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 100% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around December 5 to March 25, and February is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 56% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 18 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Comfortable (%) | 41 | 42 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22 |
| Humid (%) | 34 | 38 | 61 | 65 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 35 |
| Muggy (%) | 6 | 6 | 11 | 32 | 70 | 34 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 38 | 29 |
| Oppressive (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 64 | 80 | 60 | 37 | 46 | 41 | 8 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 39 | 63 | 48 | 5 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18 | 41 | 34 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 14 | 42 | 38 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 3 | 24 | 61 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 0 | 4 | 65 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 0 | 0 | 20 | 70 | 10 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 64 | 2 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 80 | 12 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 60 | 39 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 63 |
| Oct | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 46 | 48 |
| Nov | 0 | 3 | 13 | 38 | 41 | 5 |
| Dec | 6 | 22 | 35 | 29 | 8 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
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 Dakar is typically breezy, near 20 km/h, and varies a lot with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 6.2 months, from around Nov 12 to May 19. The windiest month is February, averaging about 25 km/h (breezy).
The calmer part of the year runs from around May 20 to Nov 11, with September the calmest month at about 15 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 21 | 23 |
| Feels | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | breezy | breezy |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | breezy |
| Feb | 25 | breezy |
| Mar | 25 | breezy |
| Apr | 24 | breezy |
| May | 21 | breezy |
| Jun | 17 | light breeze |
| Jul | 17 | light breeze |
| Aug | 16 | light breeze |
| Sep | 15 | light breeze |
| Oct | 16 | light breeze |
| Nov | 21 | breezy |
| Dec | 23 | breezy |
Hazard calendar for Dakar
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Dakar sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
Dakar sees dust haze year-round, heaviest in June.
Best time to visit Dakar
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Dakar throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late October, Dakar is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Dakar for general outdoor tourist activities is from late October to mid July, with a peak score in the first week of June.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 9.1 | 8.9 | 7.5 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 7.3 | 8.1 | 8.6 |
| Rating | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | good | good | good | ideal | ideal |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.6 | ideal |
| Feb | 8.5 | ideal |
| Mar | 8.7 | ideal |
| Apr | 8.8 | ideal |
| May | 9.1 | ideal |
| Jun | 8.9 | ideal |
| Jul | 7.5 | ideal |
| Aug | 6.1 | good |
| Sep | 6.1 | good |
| Oct | 7.3 | good |
| Nov | 8.1 | ideal |
| Dec | 8.6 | ideal |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Dakar for hot-weather activities run from late May to late July and again from mid September to early January, with a peak score in the last week of October.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Dakar, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around October (highs near 28°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around March (highs near 21°C), pack sun protection and a windbreaker.
In October, Dakar sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 27°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
Sea temperature near Dakar
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea offshore is warmest in September at about 28°C and coldest in March near 19°C.
It's comfortable for a long swim from Apr 12 to Feb 4 — about 9.8 months when the water holds above 20°C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 24 |
| Comfort | Refreshing | Cool | Cool | Refreshing | Refreshing | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Refreshing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | Refreshing |
| Feb | 20 | Cool |
| Mar | 19 | Cool |
| Apr | 20 | Refreshing |
| May | 22 | Refreshing |
| Jun | 25 | Warm |
| Jul | 27 | Warm |
| Aug | 28 | Tropical |
| Sep | 28 | Tropical |
| Oct | 28 | Tropical |
| Nov | 27 | Warm |
| Dec | 24 | Refreshing |
UV index (midday) in Dakar by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Dakar peaks around March 17 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 7 (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 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Very high |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 11 | Extreme |
| May | 12 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Very high |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 9 | Very high |
| Nov | 8 | Very high |
| Dec | 6 | High |
Average hourly UV index in Dakar
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in March the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 6.5 | 7 | 8 | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 5.5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5.5 | 6 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 4 | 2 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.5 | 4 |
| Feb | 7 | 5 |
| Mar | 8 | 6 |
| Apr | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| May | 8 | 6 |
| Jun | 8 | 5.5 |
| Jul | 8 | 6 |
| Aug | 8 | 6 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Oct | 7 | 4.5 |
| Nov | 6.5 | 4 |
| Dec | 5.5 | 2 |
Air quality in Dakar by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Dakar is worst in January — around 68 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 3.1× the cleanest month (August, 22 µg/m³).
Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Dakar's WHO annual average of 42 µg/m³.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 68 | 64 | 48 | 33 | 30 | 41 | 30 | 22 | 26 | 38 | 42 | 62 |
| Level | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Unhealthy |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68 | Unhealthy |
| Feb | 64 | Unhealthy |
| Mar | 48 | Poor |
| Apr | 33 | Moderate |
| May | 30 | Moderate |
| Jun | 41 | Poor |
| Jul | 30 | Moderate |
| Aug | 22 | Moderate |
| Sep | 26 | Moderate |
| Oct | 38 | Poor |
| Nov | 42 | Poor |
| Dec | 62 | Unhealthy |
Growing season
Dakar is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Dakar banks about 5,146 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around October.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 360 | 303 | 332 | 326 | 379 | 434 | 501 | 524 | 521 | 545 | 492 | 431 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 360 |
| Feb | 303 |
| Mar | 332 |
| Apr | 326 |
| May | 379 |
| Jun | 434 |
| Jul | 501 |
| Aug | 524 |
| Sep | 521 |
| Oct | 545 |
| Nov | 492 |
| Dec | 431 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
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.
Dakar receives about 6.1 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — intense — with a clear seasonal swing between 5.0 and 7.3 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 4.8 months, from around Feb 21 to Jul 17. The brightest month is May, averaging about 7.2 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 5.1 kWh/m² — roughly 29% less than the May peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.3 | 5.9 | 6.8 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 6.9 | 6.2 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.1 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Intense | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.3 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.9 | Bright |
| Mar | 6.8 | Intense |
| Apr | 7.2 | Intense |
| May | 7.2 | Intense |
| Jun | 6.9 | Intense |
| Jul | 6.2 | Intense |
| Aug | 5.6 | Bright |
| Sep | 5.8 | Bright |
| Oct | 6.0 | Intense |
| Nov | 5.5 | Bright |
| Dec | 5.1 | Bright |
Where is Dakar?
Dakar sits at 14.7°N, 17.4°W, 12 m above sea level, in Senegal. The nearest listed city is Le Plateau, 4.0 km away.
What Dakar looks like
Topography around Dakar
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Dakar.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Dakar has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 42 m around an average of 9 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 89 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 143 m.
The land around Dakar is covered by artificial surfaces (76%) and water (20%) within 3 km, water (81%) within 16 km, and water (65%) within 80 km.
Senegal travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 1
- Exercise Normal Precautions
- Power plugs
- Type C / D / E / K
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 36% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $1,955
- 2025
- Happiness
- 4.8 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 27%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 0.3
- per 100k, 2015
- Road deaths
- 23.5
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 442
- 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 Dakar (14.6937°, -17.4441°, elevation 12 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).