Cotonou climate
Cotonou (Benin) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C80 °F, and about 1,342 mm53 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Cotonou climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3086 | 2374 | 2780 | 200.8 |
| Feb | 3087 | 2577 | 2882 | 321.3 |
| Mar | 3086 | 2678 | 2882 | 783.1 |
| Apr | 3085 | 2678 | 2882 | 1194.7 |
| May | 2984 | 2678 | 2781 | 1746.9 |
| Jun | 2882 | 2476 | 2679 | 2168.5 |
| Jul | 2781 | 2374 | 2577 | 1656.5 |
| Aug | 2781 | 2373 | 2577 | 933.6 |
| Sep | 2781 | 2474 | 2578 | 1987.8 |
| Oct | 2883 | 2476 | 2679 | 1726.8 |
| Nov | 2984 | 2577 | 2781 | 542.1 |
| Dec | 3086 | 2475 | 2780 | 200.8 |
| Year | 3087 | 2373 | 2780 | 1,34253 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77% | 37% | 4.8 | 11:47 |
| Feb | 81% | 51% | 4.8 | 11:55 |
| Mar | 84% | 68% | 5.1 | 12:04 |
| Apr | 86% | 73% | 5.1 | 12:15 |
| May | 87% | 74% | 4.7 | 12:24 |
| Jun | 88% | 77% | 4.0 | 12:29 |
| Jul | 89% | 78% | 4.1 | 12:27 |
| Aug | 88% | 73% | 4.2 | 12:19 |
| Sep | 89% | 76% | 4.3 | 12:09 |
| Oct | 88% | 68% | 4.7 | 11:58 |
| Nov | 85% | 50% | 5.0 | 11:49 |
| Dec | 79% | 35% | 4.9 | 11:45 |
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 Cotonou is like
The warmest month is March, with an average high of 30 °C86 °F and a low of 26 °C78 °F. The coldest is August, when highs average 27 °C81 °F and lows 23 °C73 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 3.1 °C5.5 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,342 mm53 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 41% of the annual total. The wettest month is June (216 mm8.5 in), the driest is December (20 mm0.8 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 77% in January to 89% in September. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 35%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in December to 11 km/h (7 mph) in August.
Best time to visit Cotonou
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–January. Average highs then reach 29 °C84 °F to 30 °C86 °F. Precipitation is 20 mm0.8 in to 54 mm2.1 in per month.
The most challenging month is June, which is very wet (216 mm8.5 in) and humid (88% relative humidity).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means 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 Cotonou
- Wetter months (April–July, September and October) — highs 2781 to 30 °C85 °F, lows 2374 to 26 °C78 °F, about 174 mm6.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (November–March, August) — highs 2781 to 30 °C87 °F, lows 2373 to 26 °C78 °F, about 50 mm2.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Cotonou compares
The nearest larger place is Lagos, about 108 km to the east. Compared with it, Cotonou has practically the same average temperature. It receives 13% less precipitation (1,342 mm53 in vs 1,547 mm61 in).
World Climates covers 3 places in Benin. By annual mean temperature, Cotonou is the warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the wettest. See all of them on the Benin climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Lagos (Nigeria, Aw), Ebute Ikorodu (Nigeria, Aw) and Ho (Ghana, Aw).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Abomey-Calavi (pop. 385,755), Porto-Novo (pop. 264,320) and Godomè (pop. 253,262). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Cotonou, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Climate in Abomey 102 km · 25 °C78 °F · 1,216 mm48 in
- Climate in Lagos 108 km · 26 °C80 °F · 1,547 mm61 in
- Climate in Ebute Ikorodu 121 km · 26 °C80 °F · 1,713 mm67 in
- Climate in Lomé 135 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,098 mm43 in
- Climate in Abeokuta 135 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,568 mm62 in
- Climate in Ijebu Ode 173 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,713 mm67 in
- Climate in Ibadan 199 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,674 mm66 in
- Climate in Ho 217 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,140 mm45 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Cotonou?
March is the warmest month in Cotonou. Its average high is 30 °C (86 °F) and its average low is 26 °C (78 °F).
What is the coldest month in Cotonou?
August is the coldest month. Its average high is 27 °C (81 °F) and its average low is 23 °C (73 °F).
When does it rain the most in Cotonou?
June is the wettest month with about 216 mm (8.5 in) of precipitation. December is the driest with about 20 mm (0.8 in).
What is the best time to visit Cotonou?
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. The gaps are largest 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.