Gao climate
Gao (Mali) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 30 °C86 °F, and about 258 mm10 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Gao climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2985 | 1355 | 2170 | 00.0 |
| Feb | 3392 | 1661 | 2576 | 00.0 |
| Mar | 38100 | 2068 | 2984 | 00.0 |
| Apr | 41106 | 2476 | 3391 | 10.0 |
| May | 43110 | 2984 | 3697 | 40.2 |
| Jun | 42108 | 3086 | 3697 | 210.8 |
| Jul | 39103 | 2883 | 3493 | 682.7 |
| Aug | 3697 | 2679 | 3188 | 1204.7 |
| Sep | 38100 | 2678 | 3289 | 391.5 |
| Oct | 38101 | 2475 | 3188 | 50.2 |
| Nov | 3595 | 1965 | 2780 | 00.0 |
| Dec | 3187 | 1458 | 2373 | 00.0 |
| Year | 43110 | 1355 | 3086 | 25810 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18% | 30% | 5.4 | 11:15 |
| Feb | 14% | 25% | 6.1 | 11:36 |
| Mar | 12% | 22% | 6.8 | 12:00 |
| Apr | 13% | 28% | 7.1 | 12:29 |
| May | 19% | 36% | 7.1 | 12:53 |
| Jun | 30% | 40% | 6.7 | 13:05 |
| Jul | 42% | 45% | 6.7 | 13:00 |
| Aug | 55% | 48% | 6.5 | 12:40 |
| Sep | 49% | 38% | 6.5 | 12:12 |
| Oct | 30% | 22% | 6.2 | 11:44 |
| Nov | 21% | 20% | 5.7 | 11:21 |
| Dec | 21% | 24% | 5.3 | 11:10 |
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 Gao is like
The warmest month is June, with an average high of 42 °C108 °F and a low of 30 °C86 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 29 °C85 °F and lows 13 °C55 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 15 °C27 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is dry, with about 258 mm10 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 88% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: October–May. The wettest month is August (120 mm4.7 in), the driest is December (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 12% in March to 55% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 20%) are typical of November. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in October to 13 km/h (8 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 11.2 hours in December to 13.1 hours in June.
Best time to visit Gao
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are January: average highs of 29 °C85 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 0 mm0.0 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is May, which is hot, with average highs of 43 °C110 °F.
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 Gao
- Wetter months (July–September) — highs 3697 to 39 °C103 °F, lows 2678 to 28 °C83 °F, about 76 mm3.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Drier months (October–June) — highs 2985 to 43 °C110 °F, lows 1355 to 30 °C86 °F, about 3 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Gao compares
Compared with Niamey, about 384 km to the southeast, Gao is on average 0.8 °C1.4 °F warmer and receives 53% less precipitation (258 mm10 in vs 546 mm21 in). The difference is largest in July (4.2 °C7.6 °F warmer).
Of the 9 places in Mali covered by World Climates, Gao is the warmest by annual mean temperature and the 9th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Mali climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Khartoum (Sudan, BWh), Agadez (Niger, BWh) and Arlit (Niger, BWh).
Nearby places
- Kaya 371 km · 27 °C81 °F · 783 mm31 in
- Niamey 384 km · 29 °C84 °F · 546 mm21 in
- Ouahigouya 393 km · 28 °C83 °F · 738 mm29 in
- Ouagadougou 463 km · 28 °C82 °F · 818 mm32 in
- Mopti 486 km · 29 °C84 °F · 595 mm23 in
- Koudougou 512 km · 28 °C82 °F · 900 mm35 in
- Tahoua 590 km · 28 °C83 °F · 464 mm18 in
- San 618 km · 28 °C82 °F · 759 mm30 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Gao?
June is the warmest month in Gao, with an average high of 42 °C (108 °F) and an average low of 30 °C (86 °F).
What is the coldest month in Gao?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 29 °C (85 °F) and an average low of 13 °C (55 °F).
When does it rain the most in Gao?
August is the wettest month with about 120 mm (4.7 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Gao?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are 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.