Douala climate
Douala (Cameroon) has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am). The average temperature over the year is 26 °C80 °F, and about 2,452 mm97 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Douala climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3188 | 2373 | 2781 | 301.2 |
| Feb | 3188 | 2475 | 2781 | 692.7 |
| Mar | 3087 | 2475 | 2781 | 1536.0 |
| Apr | 3086 | 2476 | 2781 | 1937.6 |
| May | 3086 | 2475 | 2781 | 1917.5 |
| Jun | 2984 | 2374 | 2679 | 27311 |
| Jul | 2883 | 2272 | 2578 | 32813 |
| Aug | 2882 | 2272 | 2577 | 39516 |
| Sep | 2983 | 2373 | 2678 | 36514 |
| Oct | 2985 | 2374 | 2679 | 26811 |
| Nov | 3086 | 2374 | 2780 | 1596.3 |
| Dec | 3188 | 2373 | 2780 | 281.1 |
| Year | 3188 | 2272 | 2680 | 2,45297 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 81% | 59% | 5.0 | 11:55 |
| Feb | 84% | 71% | 4.8 | 11:59 |
| Mar | 87% | 82% | 4.5 | 12:05 |
| Apr | 88% | 84% | 4.6 | 12:12 |
| May | 89% | 82% | 4.5 | 12:18 |
| Jun | 90% | 87% | 3.9 | 12:21 |
| Jul | 90% | 91% | 3.4 | 12:20 |
| Aug | 91% | 94% | 3.2 | 12:15 |
| Sep | 90% | 91% | 3.8 | 12:08 |
| Oct | 89% | 87% | 4.1 | 12:01 |
| Nov | 88% | 73% | 4.4 | 11:56 |
| Dec | 83% | 60% | 4.8 | 11:53 |
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 Douala is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 31 °C88 °F and a low of 24 °C75 °F. The coldest is August, when highs average 28 °C82 °F and lows 22 °C72 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 2.4 °C4.2 °F.
It is very wet, receiving about 2,452 mm97 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 44% of the annual total. The wettest month is August (395 mm16 in), the driest is December (28 mm1.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 81% in January to 91% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 59%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 2 km/h (1 mph) in November to 2 km/h (1 mph) in August.
Best time to visit Douala
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December–February. Average highs then reach 31 °C88 °F to 31 °C88 °F. Precipitation is 28 mm1.1 in to 69 mm2.7 in per month.
The most challenging month is August, which is very wet (395 mm16 in) and humid (91% 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 Douala
- Wetter months (June–October) — highs 2882 to 29 °C85 °F, lows 2272 to 23 °C74 °F, about 326 mm13 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 3086 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 2373 to 24 °C76 °F, about 118 mm4.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Douala compares
The nearest larger place is Port Harcourt, about 309 km to the west. Compared with it, Douala is on average 0.6 °C1.1 °F warmer. It receives 6% more precipitation (2,452 mm97 in vs 2,320 mm91 in). The difference is largest in January (1.6 °C2.9 °F warmer).
World Climates covers 13 places in Cameroon. By annual mean temperature, Douala is the 2nd warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 4th wettest. See all of them on the Cameroon climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Malabo (Equatorial Guinea, Am), Okrika (Nigeria, Am) and Buguma (Nigeria, Am).
Nearby places
- Climate in Buea 53 km · 21 °C70 °F · 2,553 mm100 in
- Climate in Edéa 55 km · 26 °C80 °F · 2,452 mm97 in
- Climate in Kumba 71 km · 25 °C77 °F · 2,912 mm115 in
- Climate in Nkongsamba 104 km · 22 °C72 °F · 3,065 mm121 in
- Climate in Malabo 107 km · 27 °C81 °F · 2,736 mm108 in
- Climate in Bafoussam 178 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,973 mm78 in
- Climate in Calabar 183 km · 26 °C79 °F · 2,931 mm115 in
- Climate in Yaoundé 202 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,474 mm58 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Douala?
February is the warmest month in Douala. Its average high is 31 °C (88 °F) and its average low is 24 °C (75 °F).
What is the coldest month in Douala?
August is the coldest month. Its average high is 28 °C (82 °F) and its average low is 22 °C (72 °F).
When does it rain the most in Douala?
August is the wettest month with about 395 mm (15.6 in) of precipitation. December is the driest with about 28 mm (1.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Douala?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December–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. 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.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 103 m, while Douala lies at about 19 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.5 °C1 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.