The climate in Burkina Faso

Climate zone: tropics

It is warm or hot yearlong. The warmest and rainiest part of the country is Sahel. The coldest is High-Basins.

Temperature records of the last 74 years

The hottest temperature measured from 1949 to January 2023 was reported by the Dori weather station. In April 2016, the record temperature of 47.5 °C was reported here. The hottest summer from July to September, based on all 8 weather stations in Burkina Faso , was recorded in 1987 with an average temperature of 28.0 °C. This average temperature will normally be measured every four to six hours, thus also including the nights. Normally, this value is 27.0 degrees Celsius.

The coldest day in these 74 years was reported by the Dedougou weather station. Here the temperature dropped to 0.1 °C in July 2008. Dedougou lies at an altitude of 300 meters above sea level. The coldest winter (January to March) was in 2023 with an average temperature of 25.8 °C. In Burkina Faso, it is usual to have about 2.2 degrees more at 28.1 °C for this three-month period.

The most precipitation fell in August 1991. With 18.7 mm per day, the Gaoua weather station recorded the highest monthly average of the last 74 years. Incidentally, the region with the most rainfall for the whole year is around Gaoua. The driest region is near Dori.

Data basis and methodology

The data from the individual measuring stations are based on the archives of the German Weather Service, individual values averaged and supplemented by own elements. In order to determine a representative national average, average values were first calculated for each part of the country, which were then summarized at the national level. Thus, if a disproportionate number of weather stations are located in a small area, their number does not affect the national average. There are 9 stations in Burkina Faso itself. In 2 cases, neighboring but nearby weather stations were also used to obtain more accurate values.