Bamenda climate
Bamenda (Cameroon) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 20 °C68 °F, and about 2,325 mm92 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Bamenda climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2679 | 1458 | 2069 | 100.4 |
| Feb | 2780 | 1660 | 2170 | 361.4 |
| Mar | 2679 | 1763 | 2271 | 1094.3 |
| Apr | 2577 | 1864 | 2171 | 1947.6 |
| May | 2476 | 1864 | 2170 | 2409.5 |
| Jun | 2374 | 1762 | 2068 | 29812 |
| Jul | 2272 | 1661 | 1966 | 34714 |
| Aug | 2271 | 1661 | 1966 | 37115 |
| Sep | 2272 | 1661 | 1967 | 36114 |
| Oct | 2374 | 1762 | 2068 | 28411 |
| Nov | 2476 | 1661 | 2068 | 692.7 |
| Dec | 2578 | 1458 | 2068 | 50.2 |
| Year | 2780 | 1458 | 2068 | 2,32592 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63% | 42% | 5.7 | 11:49 |
| Feb | 66% | 57% | 5.6 | 11:56 |
| Mar | 77% | 73% | 5.5 | 12:04 |
| Apr | 84% | 81% | 5.3 | 12:15 |
| May | 87% | 80% | 5.2 | 12:23 |
| Jun | 89% | 81% | 4.7 | 12:28 |
| Jul | 91% | 86% | 4.3 | 12:26 |
| Aug | 92% | 90% | 4.2 | 12:19 |
| Sep | 90% | 87% | 4.7 | 12:09 |
| Oct | 89% | 84% | 4.9 | 11:59 |
| Nov | 81% | 59% | 5.4 | 11:50 |
| Dec | 67% | 39% | 5.6 | 11:47 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Bamenda is like
The warmest month is March, with an average high of 26 °C79 °F and a low of 17 °C63 °F. The coldest is August, when highs average 22 °C71 °F and lows 16 °C61 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 2.8 °C5.1 °F.
It is very wet, receiving about 2,325 mm92 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 46% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: December and January. The wettest month is August (371 mm15 in), the driest is December (5 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 63% in January to 92% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 39%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 3 km/h (2 mph) in May to 6 km/h (4 mph) in August.
Best time to visit Bamenda
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–February: average highs of 24 °C76 °F to 27 °C80 °F with 5 mm0.2 in to 69 mm2.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is August, which is very wet (371 mm15 in).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Bamenda
- Wetter months (April–October) — highs 2271 to 25 °C77 °F, lows 1661 to 18 °C64 °F, about 299 mm12 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Drier months (November–March) — highs 2476 to 27 °C80 °F, lows 1458 to 17 °C63 °F, about 46 mm1.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Bamenda compares
Compared with Douala, about 218 km to the south, Bamenda is on average 6.2 °C11.2 °F cooler and receives 5% less precipitation (2,325 mm92 in vs 2,452 mm97 in). The difference is largest in December (7 °C12.6 °F cooler).
Of the 13 places in Cameroon covered by World Climates, Bamenda is the 11th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 6th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Cameroon climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Jimma (Ethiopia, Cwb), Awasa (Ethiopia, Aw) and Gitega (Burundi, Cwb).
Nearby places
- Bafoussam 61 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,973 mm78 in
- Kumbo 63 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,967 mm77 in
- Nkongsamba 114 km · 22 °C72 °F · 3,065 mm121 in
- Kumba 166 km · 25 °C77 °F · 2,912 mm115 in
- Gboko 197 km · 25 °C78 °F · 1,230 mm48 in
- Douala 218 km · 26 °C80 °F · 2,452 mm97 in
- Buea 224 km · 21 °C70 °F · 2,553 mm100 in
- Abakaliki 228 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,538 mm61 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Bamenda?
March is the warmest month in Bamenda, with an average high of 26 °C (79 °F) and an average low of 17 °C (63 °F).
What is the coldest month in Bamenda?
August is the coldest month, with an average high of 22 °C (71 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (61 °F).
When does it rain the most in Bamenda?
August is the wettest month with about 371 mm (14.6 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 5 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Bamenda?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are November–February.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 1,206 m, while Bamenda lies at about 1,258 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −0.3 °C0.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.