Weather in Dakar

Dakar is in Senegal at 14.7°N. The 2001–2020 NASA POWER daily record describes a mild oceanic climate. Rain is rainy season runs from July to September, inside an annual total of 556 mm. The wettest month is August at 191 mm; the driest is May at 3 mm.

October is the warmest month (average 28.3°C, high 28.9°C) and March is the coolest (average 20.8°C, low 19.5°C). From the coolest night in March (19.3°C) to the hottest afternoon in October (28.9°C), the raw range is 9.6°C. On this site the months that score closest to a 22°C day, lighter rain, and moderate humidity are January, March, and May.

Rain through the year

The rainy season in Dakar starts in July and ends in September (July, August, and September). August is the core of it at 191 mm. May is the other extreme, with 3 mm.

Humidity peaks near 88%. That usually lines up with the wetter months rather than the hottest ones.

Temperature through the year

Dakar has a 7.5°C gap between its coolest monthly average (20.8°C in March) and its warmest (28.3°C in October). That is a northern-hemisphere pattern.

Across the year the mean afternoon high is 25.4°C. If you want the smallest day–night shock, look at months where the high and low sit close together; October nights still hold 27.7°C.

The calendar in Dakar

The year bottoms out in March. Plan for 19.5°C at night and 22.2°C in the afternoon. May is the driest month, averaging only 3 mm across 1 rainy days. Highs sit near 22.9°C. The rainy season opens in July. Expect 79 mm and 15 rainy days, with nights around 26.3°C.

August is the wettest month — 191 mm and 25 rainy days, with 84% humidity. Peak heat arrives in October: 28.9°C by day, 27.7°C at night, and 79% humidity.

When the score favours a visit

The three months with the highest comfort score are January, March, and May: January (22.2°C average, 11 mm, 70% humidity); March (20.8°C average, 3 mm, 83% humidity); May (22.3°C average, 3 mm, 88% humidity). They fall in calendar order. The score rewards averages near 22°C, lower rainfall, and humidity near 60%. It is a climate score, not a festival or price calendar.

If you want the rainy season itself — fewer crowds, greener landscape, heavier rain — aim at July–September instead of the score.

Dakar and other cities in Senegal

Dakar is the only Senegal city in this dataset, so the figures on this page are the national sample we publish. They still come from the same NASA POWER daily series (2001–2020) used everywhere else on the site.