Bissau climate
Bissau (Guinea-Bissau) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C80 °F, and about 1,556 mm61 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Bissau climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2985 | 1662 | 2373 | 10.0 |
| Feb | 3290 | 1864 | 2577 | 00.0 |
| Mar | 3594 | 2068 | 2781 | 00.0 |
| Apr | 3697 | 2271 | 2984 | 00.0 |
| May | 3595 | 2374 | 2985 | 210.8 |
| Jun | 3289 | 2576 | 2883 | 1325.2 |
| Jul | 2984 | 2476 | 2780 | 37615 |
| Aug | 2883 | 2476 | 2679 | 48719 |
| Sep | 2983 | 2476 | 2680 | 35514 |
| Oct | 3085 | 2576 | 2781 | 1736.8 |
| Nov | 3086 | 2272 | 2679 | 120.5 |
| Dec | 2984 | 1865 | 2475 | 00.0 |
| Year | 3697 | 1662 | 2780 | 1,55661 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57% | 34% | 5.4 | 11:30 |
| Feb | 53% | 30% | 6.0 | 11:44 |
| Mar | 53% | 24% | 6.6 | 12:02 |
| Apr | 53% | 28% | 6.7 | 12:23 |
| May | 58% | 44% | 6.3 | 12:40 |
| Jun | 74% | 65% | 5.3 | 12:49 |
| Jul | 86% | 79% | 4.6 | 12:45 |
| Aug | 89% | 82% | 4.6 | 12:31 |
| Sep | 88% | 77% | 4.9 | 12:11 |
| Oct | 85% | 59% | 5.3 | 11:51 |
| Nov | 74% | 39% | 5.2 | 11:34 |
| Dec | 67% | 35% | 5.2 | 11:26 |
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 Bissau is like
The warmest month is May, with an average high of 35 °C95 °F and a low of 23 °C74 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 29 °C85 °F and lows 16 °C62 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 6.4 °C11.5 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,556 mm61 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 78% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–April. The wettest month is August (487 mm19 in), the driest is December (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 53% in April to 89% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 24%) are typical of March. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in October to 10 km/h (6 mph) in May. Daylight lasts from about 11.4 hours in December to 12.8 hours in June.
Best time to visit Bissau
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–January: average highs of 29 °C84 °F to 30 °C86 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 12 mm0.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is August, which is very wet (487 mm19 in) and humid (89% relative humidity).
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 Bissau
- Wetter months (June–October) — highs 2883 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 2476 to 25 °C76 °F, about 304 mm12 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Drier months (November–May) — highs 2984 to 36 °C97 °F, lows 1662 to 23 °C74 °F, about 5 mm0.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Bissau compares
Compared with Conakry, about 333 km to the southeast, Bissau is on average 0.6 °C1 °F cooler and receives 46% less precipitation (1,556 mm61 in vs 2,897 mm114 in). The difference is largest in January (4.5 °C8 °F cooler).
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Kolda (Senegal, Aw), Ziguinchor (Senegal, Aw) and Kamsar (Guinea, Aw).
Nearby places
- Ziguinchor 107 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,340 mm53 in
- Kolda 135 km · 28 °C82 °F · 1,093 mm43 in
- Kamsar 172 km · 27 °C81 °F · 2,111 mm83 in
- Serekunda 211 km · 25 °C77 °F · 829 mm33 in
- Kaolack 260 km · 27 °C81 °F · 725 mm29 in
- Tambacounda 298 km · 29 °C85 °F · 654 mm26 in
- Diourbel 317 km · 28 °C82 °F · 636 mm25 in
- Mbour 321 km · 26 °C79 °F · 558 mm22 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Bissau?
May is the warmest month in Bissau, with an average high of 35 °C (95 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (74 °F).
What is the coldest month in Bissau?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 29 °C (85 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (62 °F).
When does it rain the most in Bissau?
August is the wettest month with about 487 mm (19.2 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Bissau?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are November–January.
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.