Kayes climate
Kayes (Mali) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 29 °C85 °F, and about 707 mm28 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Kayes climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3392 | 1661 | 2577 | 10.0 |
| Feb | 3798 | 1966 | 2882 | 00.0 |
| Mar | 40105 | 2272 | 3189 | 10.0 |
| Apr | 43109 | 2679 | 3594 | 10.0 |
| May | 43109 | 2984 | 3697 | 130.5 |
| Jun | 39102 | 2882 | 3392 | 652.6 |
| Jul | 3493 | 2577 | 3085 | 1666.5 |
| Aug | 3289 | 2476 | 2882 | 2509.8 |
| Sep | 3289 | 2475 | 2882 | 1716.7 |
| Oct | 3493 | 2374 | 2983 | 391.5 |
| Nov | 3595 | 1967 | 2781 | 20.1 |
| Dec | 3392 | 1762 | 2577 | 00.0 |
| Year | 43109 | 1661 | 2985 | 70728 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21% | 38% | 5.4 | 11:21 |
| Feb | 16% | 33% | 6.0 | 11:39 |
| Mar | 14% | 42% | 6.7 | 12:01 |
| Apr | 16% | 49% | 7.0 | 12:27 |
| May | 25% | 59% | 6.8 | 12:48 |
| Jun | 46% | 66% | 6.3 | 12:59 |
| Jul | 70% | 70% | 5.9 | 12:54 |
| Aug | 81% | 77% | 5.5 | 12:36 |
| Sep | 81% | 61% | 5.8 | 12:11 |
| Oct | 68% | 49% | 5.8 | 11:47 |
| Nov | 44% | 38% | 5.5 | 11:26 |
| Dec | 30% | 39% | 5.2 | 11:17 |
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 Kayes is like
The warmest month is May, with an average high of 43 °C109 °F and a low of 29 °C84 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 33 °C92 °F and lows 16 °C61 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 11.1 °C20 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 707 mm28 in. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 83% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–May. The wettest month is August (250 mm9.8 in), the driest is December (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 14% in March to 81% in September. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 33%) are typical of February. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in October to 12 km/h (8 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 11.3 hours in December to 13.0 hours in June.
Best time to visit Kayes
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December and January and October: average highs of 33 °C92 °F to 34 °C93 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 39 mm1.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is April, which is hot, with average highs of 43 °C109 °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 Kayes
- Wetter months (June–September) — highs 3289 to 39 °C102 °F, lows 2475 to 28 °C82 °F, about 163 mm6.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (October–May) — highs 3392 to 43 °C109 °F, lows 1661 to 29 °C84 °F, about 7 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Kayes compares
Of the 9 places in Mali covered by World Climates, Kayes is the 2nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 7th 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: Tambacounda (Senegal, BSh), NDjamena (Chad, BSh) and Gereida (Sudan, BSh).
Nearby places
- Tambacounda 251 km · 29 °C85 °F · 654 mm26 in
- Labé 360 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,727 mm68 in
- Kolda 415 km · 28 °C82 °F · 1,093 mm43 in
- Siguiri 417 km · 27 °C81 °F · 1,218 mm48 in
- Kalaban Koro 424 km · 28 °C83 °F · 1,015 mm40 in
- Bamako 427 km · 28 °C82 °F · 1,015 mm40 in
- Touba 479 km · 28 °C83 °F · 553 mm22 in
- Kaolack 500 km · 27 °C81 °F · 725 mm29 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Kayes?
May is the warmest month in Kayes, with an average high of 43 °C (109 °F) and an average low of 29 °C (84 °F).
What is the coldest month in Kayes?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (61 °F).
When does it rain the most in Kayes?
August is the wettest month with about 250 mm (9.8 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Kayes?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December and January and October.
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 106 m, while Kayes lies at about 47 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.4 °C0.7 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.