Freetown weather in October

In October, Freetown sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 232 mm of rain across 28.1 wet days and about 11.8 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 10% of the time in October, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 54 min at the start of October to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Freetown's 7th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Freetown's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
5th warmest
Overnight low
25°
4th coldest
Rainfall
232 mm
28.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 48 min
6:44 AM – 6:32 PM
Cloud cover
72%
7th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
4.86 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.8
out of 10

Freetown is capital of Sierra Leone.

Founded
1792

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical October day in Freetown reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs on par with September and on par with November.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12725
22725
32725
42725
52725
62725
72725
82725
92725
102725
112725
122725
132725
142725
152725
162725
172725
182725
192725
202725
212725
222725
232725
242725
252725
262725
272725
282725
292725
302725
312725

Freetown weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 5th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 26°102.311.68.1
Feb27° / 26°61.411.78.2
Mar27° / 26°92.411.98.0
Apr27° / 26°215.212.27.2
May28° / 26°15921.412.44.6
Jun27° / 25°39729.112.53.5
Jul26° / 25°68330.212.43.5
Aug26° / 25°75129.912.33.5
Sep26° / 25°48028.6123.6
Oct27° / 25°23228.111.83.8
Nov28° / 26°9820.611.64.9
Dec28° / 26°277.411.57.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 10% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 70%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12179
22179
32179
42278
52278
62278
72278
82278
92377
102377
112476
122476
132674
142674
152773
162872
172971
183070
193268
203367
213466
223565
233763
243763
253961
263961
274060
284060
294357
304456
314555

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Freetown gets around 232 mm of rain over 28.1 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 90% and peaks near 94% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
194
294
394
493
593
693
793
893
993
1093
1193
1293
1392
1492
1592
1692
1791
1891
1991
2090
2190
2289
2389
2488
2587
2687
2786
2885
2984
3083
3182

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the oppressive band about 98% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
11000
2991
3991
4991
5991
6991
7991
8991
9991
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16982
17982
18982
19982
20973
21973
22973
23964
24964
25964
26964
27955
28955
29955
30946
31946

Wind in October

Winds average 10 km/h in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 12 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
112calm
212calm
312calm
412calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 54 min at the start of October to 11 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:44 AM to 6:45 AM, and sunset from 6:40 PM to 6:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.96:446:40
211.96:446:39
311.96:446:39
411.96:446:38
511.96:446:38
611.96:446:37
711.96:446:36
811.96:446:36
911.96:446:35
1011.96:446:35
1111.86:446:34
1211.86:446:34
1311.86:446:34
1411.86:446:33
1511.86:446:33
1611.86:446:32
1711.86:446:32
1811.86:446:31
1911.86:446:31
2011.86:446:31
2111.86:446:30
2211.86:446:30
2311.86:446:30
2411.86:446:29
2511.76:446:29
2611.76:456:29
2711.76:456:28
2811.76:456:28
2911.76:456:28
3011.76:456:28
3111.76:456:28

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 4.86 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.94 kWh/m² to a high of 6.28 kWh/m² in March across the year — October's 4.86 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.7Bright
24.7Bright
34.8Bright
44.8Bright
54.8Bright
64.8Bright
74.8Bright
84.8Bright
94.8Bright
104.8Bright
114.8Bright
124.8Bright
134.8Bright
144.8Bright
154.9Bright
164.9Bright
174.9Bright
184.9Bright
194.9Bright
204.9Bright
214.9Bright
224.9Bright
234.9Bright
244.9Bright
254.9Bright
264.9Bright
275.0Bright
285.0Bright
295.0Bright
305.0Bright
315.0Bright
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Freetown

In seasonPeak

None of Freetown's seasonal hazards are active in October. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Freetown's monsoon runs June–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Freetown sees seasonal dust haze (February–April), heaviest in February.

Monsoon
Dust
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is October a good time to visit Freetown?

Our two travel scores rate October for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

3.8
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
3.9
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

October is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Freetown.

What to pack for Freetown in October

From October's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In October, Freetown sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 28 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Freetown in October

The nearest coast averages about 28°C in October — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 20 km away) is warmest in November at about 29°C and coldest in August near 27°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr28Warm
May28Tropical
Jun28Tropical
Jul27Warm
Aug27Warm
Sep27Warm
Oct28Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Freetown in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks 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 Freetown peaks around August 20 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 8 (very high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highAug 20UV 13Dec 15UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan9Very high
Feb12Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec8Very high

Air quality in Freetown in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where October falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Freetown is worst in February — around 78 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 7.8× the cleanest month (September, 10 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorModerateGoodModeratePoorFeb 1477 µg/m³Sep 1010 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan69Unhealthy
Feb78Unhealthy
Mar64Unhealthy
Apr43Poor
May31Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul13Moderate
Aug11Good
Sep10Good
Oct16Moderate
Nov26Moderate
Dec54Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Freetown?

Freetown sits at 8.5°N, 13.2°W, 38 m above sea level, in Sierra Leone. The nearest listed city is Goderich, 9.0 km away.

WaterlooPort LokoLunsarForécariahMile 91

Topography around Freetown

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Freetown.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Freetown has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 368 m around an average of 65 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 778 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 885 m.

The land around Freetown is covered by artificial surfaces (48%) and water (41%) within 3 km, water (63%) within 16 km, and water (46%) and trees (34%) within 80 km.

3 km
368 m
16 km
778 m
80 km
885 m
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
October weather nearby: Goderich 9.0 km · Waterloo 24 km · Port Loko 58 km · Lunsar 80 km · Forécariah 106 km · Mile 91 112 km · Conakry 127 km · Camayenne 127 km

Sierra Leone travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type D / G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 24% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$846
2025
Happiness
3.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
11%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2.2
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
33
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
Religion
Muslim 77%Christian 23%

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 Freetown (8.4871°, -13.2356°, elevation 38 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. 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).