Dakar weather in May
In May, Dakar sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 0 mm of rain across 0 wet days and about 12.7 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.
Highs climb over the month, from about 22°C in the first days to 24°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time in May, and the air most often feels muggy.
Daylight stretches from about 12 h 30 min at the start of May to 12 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Dakar's 1st-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Dakar's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 23°
- 8th warmest
- Overnight low
- 22°
- 5th coldest
- Rainfall
- 0 mm
- 0 wet days
- Daylight
- 12 h 42 min
- 6:46 AM – 7:26 PM
- Cloud cover
- 25%
- 1st clearest
- Wind
- 21 km/h
- 6th windiest
- Solar energy
- 7.21 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 9.1
- out of 10
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.
Temperature in May
Highs climb over the month, from about 22°C in the first days to 24°C by the end.
A typical May day in Dakar reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 1°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 24°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C warmer than April and about 2°C cooler than June.
| 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) | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Avg low (°C) | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | 21 |
| 2 | 22 | 21 |
| 3 | 22 | 21 |
| 4 | 22 | 21 |
| 5 | 22 | 21 |
| 6 | 22 | 21 |
| 7 | 22 | 21 |
| 8 | 22 | 21 |
| 9 | 22 | 21 |
| 10 | 22 | 21 |
| 11 | 22 | 21 |
| 12 | 22 | 22 |
| 13 | 22 | 22 |
| 14 | 23 | 22 |
| 15 | 23 | 22 |
| 16 | 23 | 22 |
| 17 | 23 | 22 |
| 18 | 23 | 22 |
| 19 | 23 | 22 |
| 20 | 23 | 22 |
| 21 | 23 | 22 |
| 22 | 23 | 22 |
| 23 | 23 | 22 |
| 24 | 23 | 22 |
| 25 | 23 | 22 |
| 26 | 23 | 22 |
| 27 | 23 | 23 |
| 28 | 24 | 23 |
| 29 | 24 | 23 |
| 30 | 24 | 23 |
| 31 | 24 | 23 |
How May really feels in Dakar
Once humidity and wind are folded in, May 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.
May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Dakar weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 8th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| 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 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time in May, the clearest month of the year.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 15%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.
| 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 (%) | 85 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 86 | 85 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 82 | 81 | 81 |
| Cloudier (%) | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 85 | 15 |
| 2 | 85 | 15 |
| 3 | 86 | 14 |
| 4 | 87 | 13 |
| 5 | 87 | 13 |
| 6 | 87 | 13 |
| 7 | 88 | 12 |
| 8 | 88 | 12 |
| 9 | 88 | 12 |
| 10 | 88 | 12 |
| 11 | 88 | 12 |
| 12 | 88 | 12 |
| 13 | 87 | 13 |
| 14 | 87 | 13 |
| 15 | 87 | 13 |
| 16 | 86 | 14 |
| 17 | 85 | 15 |
| 18 | 85 | 15 |
| 19 | 84 | 16 |
| 20 | 83 | 17 |
| 21 | 83 | 17 |
| 22 | 83 | 17 |
| 23 | 82 | 18 |
| 24 | 82 | 18 |
| 25 | 82 | 18 |
| 26 | 81 | 19 |
| 27 | 81 | 19 |
| 28 | 81 | 19 |
| 29 | 82 | 18 |
| 30 | 81 | 19 |
| 31 | 81 | 19 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Dakar gets around 0 mm of rain over 0 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 0% and peaks near 0% 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 (%) | 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0 |
| 2 | 0 |
| 3 | 0 |
| 4 | 0 |
| 5 | 0 |
| 6 | 0 |
| 7 | 0 |
| 8 | 0 |
| 9 | 0 |
| 10 | 0 |
| 11 | 0 |
| 12 | 0 |
| 13 | 0 |
| 14 | 0 |
| 15 | 0 |
| 16 | 0 |
| 17 | 0 |
| 18 | 0 |
| 19 | 0 |
| 20 | 0 |
| 21 | 0 |
| 22 | 0 |
| 23 | 0 |
| 24 | 0 |
| 25 | 0 |
| 26 | 0 |
| 27 | 0 |
| 28 | 0 |
| 29 | 0 |
| 30 | 0 |
| 31 | 0 |
Humidity in May
Most of May feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, May lands in the muggy band about 71% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 80% of them.
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humid (%) | 47 | 45 | 43 | 41 | 39 | 37 | 35 | 33 | 31 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Muggy (%) | 52 | 53 | 55 | 57 | 59 | 61 | 62 | 64 | 66 | 68 | 70 | 71 | 73 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 78 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 79 | 78 | 78 | 76 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 70 |
| Oppressive (%) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 27 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 47 | 52 | 1 |
| 2 | 45 | 53 | 2 |
| 3 | 43 | 55 | 2 |
| 4 | 41 | 57 | 2 |
| 5 | 39 | 59 | 2 |
| 6 | 37 | 61 | 2 |
| 7 | 35 | 62 | 3 |
| 8 | 33 | 64 | 3 |
| 9 | 31 | 66 | 3 |
| 10 | 28 | 68 | 4 |
| 11 | 26 | 70 | 4 |
| 12 | 24 | 71 | 5 |
| 13 | 22 | 73 | 5 |
| 14 | 19 | 75 | 6 |
| 15 | 17 | 76 | 7 |
| 16 | 16 | 77 | 7 |
| 17 | 14 | 78 | 8 |
| 18 | 13 | 78 | 9 |
| 19 | 11 | 80 | 9 |
| 20 | 10 | 80 | 10 |
| 21 | 9 | 80 | 11 |
| 22 | 8 | 80 | 12 |
| 23 | 7 | 80 | 13 |
| 24 | 7 | 79 | 14 |
| 25 | 6 | 78 | 16 |
| 26 | 5 | 78 | 17 |
| 27 | 5 | 76 | 19 |
| 28 | 4 | 75 | 21 |
| 29 | 4 | 74 | 22 |
| 30 | 3 | 73 | 24 |
| 31 | 3 | 70 | 27 |
Wind in May
Winds average 21 km/h in May.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 19 km/h on the calmest days to 23 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) | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Feels | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | breezy |
| 2 | 23 | breezy |
| 3 | 23 | breezy |
| 4 | 23 | breezy |
| 5 | 23 | breezy |
| 6 | 23 | breezy |
| 7 | 23 | breezy |
| 8 | 22 | breezy |
| 9 | 22 | breezy |
| 10 | 22 | breezy |
| 11 | 22 | breezy |
| 12 | 22 | breezy |
| 13 | 21 | breezy |
| 14 | 21 | breezy |
| 15 | 21 | breezy |
| 16 | 21 | breezy |
| 17 | 21 | breezy |
| 18 | 20 | breezy |
| 19 | 20 | breezy |
| 20 | 20 | breezy |
| 21 | 20 | breezy |
| 22 | 20 | light breeze |
| 23 | 20 | light breeze |
| 24 | 20 | light breeze |
| 25 | 19 | light breeze |
| 26 | 19 | light breeze |
| 27 | 19 | light breeze |
| 28 | 19 | light breeze |
| 29 | 19 | light breeze |
| 30 | 19 | light breeze |
| 31 | 19 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 12 h 30 min at the start of May to 12 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 18 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:51 AM to 6:43 AM, and sunset from 7:23 PM to 7:31 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) | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:51 | 6:51 | 6:50 | 6:50 | 6:50 | 6:49 | 6:49 | 6:48 | 6:48 | 6:48 | 6:47 | 6:47 | 6:47 | 6:46 | 6:46 | 6:46 | 6:45 | 6:45 | 6:45 | 6:45 | 6:44 | 6:44 | 6:44 | 6:44 | 6:44 | 6:44 | 6:44 | 6:43 | 6:43 | 6:43 | 6:43 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:23 | 7:23 | 7:23 | 7:23 | 7:23 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:25 | 7:25 | 7:25 | 7:26 | 7:26 | 7:26 | 7:26 | 7:27 | 7:27 | 7:27 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:29 | 7:29 | 7:29 | 7:30 | 7:30 | 7:30 | 7:30 | 7:31 | 7:31 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.5 | 6:51 | 7:23 |
| 2 | 12.5 | 6:51 | 7:23 |
| 3 | 12.5 | 6:50 | 7:23 |
| 4 | 12.6 | 6:50 | 7:23 |
| 5 | 12.6 | 6:50 | 7:23 |
| 6 | 12.6 | 6:49 | 7:24 |
| 7 | 12.6 | 6:49 | 7:24 |
| 8 | 12.6 | 6:48 | 7:24 |
| 9 | 12.6 | 6:48 | 7:24 |
| 10 | 12.6 | 6:48 | 7:25 |
| 11 | 12.6 | 6:47 | 7:25 |
| 12 | 12.6 | 6:47 | 7:25 |
| 13 | 12.7 | 6:47 | 7:26 |
| 14 | 12.7 | 6:46 | 7:26 |
| 15 | 12.7 | 6:46 | 7:26 |
| 16 | 12.7 | 6:46 | 7:26 |
| 17 | 12.7 | 6:45 | 7:27 |
| 18 | 12.7 | 6:45 | 7:27 |
| 19 | 12.7 | 6:45 | 7:27 |
| 20 | 12.7 | 6:45 | 7:28 |
| 21 | 12.7 | 6:44 | 7:28 |
| 22 | 12.7 | 6:44 | 7:28 |
| 23 | 12.7 | 6:44 | 7:29 |
| 24 | 12.7 | 6:44 | 7:29 |
| 25 | 12.8 | 6:44 | 7:29 |
| 26 | 12.8 | 6:44 | 7:30 |
| 27 | 12.8 | 6:44 | 7:30 |
| 28 | 12.8 | 6:43 | 7:30 |
| 29 | 12.8 | 6:43 | 7:30 |
| 30 | 12.8 | 6:43 | 7:31 |
| 31 | 12.8 | 6:43 | 7:31 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 7.21 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.06 kWh/m² to a high of 7.21 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 7.21 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 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) | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.0 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 2 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 3 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 4 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 5 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 6 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 7 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 8 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 9 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 10 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 11 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 12 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 13 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 14 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 15 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 16 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 17 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 18 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 19 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 20 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 21 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 22 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 23 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 24 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 25 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 26 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 27 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 28 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 29 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 30 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 31 | 7.0 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Dakar
In May, Dakar sits inside its dust season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Dakar sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
Dakar sees dust haze year-round, heaviest in June.
Is May a good time to visit Dakar?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is one of the better times to visit Dakar for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Dakar in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Dakar sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 22°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and a windbreaker.
Sea temperature near Dakar in May
The nearest coast averages about 22°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
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 in Dakar in May
Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
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 |
Air quality in Dakar in May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual 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 |
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.
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).