Burkina Faso Climate Additional Information
The climate of Burkina Faso is tropical Sudano-Sahelian. The Sahelian zone has an average rainfall
of less than 600 mm per year while the Sudanian area has a rainfall of between 600 and 1100 mm
per year. Can be distinguished from north to south the following areas:
Sahelian north (11.7% of the territory in the far north of the country) with less than 400 mm annual
rainfall;
Sub Sahel (400-600 mm rainfall / year) which covers 17.6% of the country;
Northern Sudan (600 to 1000 mm rainfall / year) which occupies 34.2% of the territory;
South Sudan (1000 to 1100 mm rainfall / year) in the extreme southwest of the country and occupies
34.3% of the territory.
The onset of the rains is much earlier than in the southwest to the north. On average, the dry season
lasts from October to April and the rainy season from May to September. The dry season has three
periods: a short period of transition and post rainy relatively warm from mid October to mid November,
a cool period from mid November to late February, and a warm period from March to May. The
relative humidity of air is low in the dry season with a high evaporative demand, which can exceed 10
mm of water per day. Compared to the period 1951-1960, we can note a shift in isohyets towards the
South, with a decrease in total precipitation ranging from 100 to 200 mm. If this trend continues, it
could lead to the complete disappearance of the Sudan zone and the appearance in the far north of a
new climatic zone: saharosahélienne area (annual rainfall <300 mm)
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso latitude & longitude; 12°21'N 1°31'W.
Altitude; 316 m (1037 ft).
The average temperature in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso is 28.8 °C (84 °F).
The range of average monthly temperatures is 8 °C.
The warmest average max/ high temperature is 40 °C (104 °F) in March.
The coolest average min/ low temperature is 16 °C (61 °F) in January.
Burkina Faso receives on average 897 mm (35.3 in) of precipitation annually or 75 mm (2.9 in) each
month.
On balance there are 62 days annually on which greater than 0.1 mm (0.004 in) of precipitation (rain,
sleet, snow or hail) occurs or 5 days on an average month.
The month with the driest weather is January & December when on balance 0 mm (0.0 in) of rainfall
(precipitation) occurs.
The month with the wettest weather is August when on balance 280 mm (11.0 in) of rain across 14
days.
Mean relative humidity for an average year is recorded as 38.4% and on a monthly basis it ranges
from 19% in January & February to 67% in August.
There is an average range of hours of sunshine in Burkina Faso of between 5.7 hours per day in
August and 9.4 hours per day in November.
On balance there are 3031 sunshine hours annually and approximately 8.3 sunlight hours for each
day.