Nouakchott climate
Nouakchott (Mauritania) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C74 °F, and about 150 mm5.9 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Nouakchott climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2373 | 1762 | 2068 | 20.1 |
| Feb | 2373 | 1763 | 2068 | 20.1 |
| Mar | 2475 | 1864 | 2169 | 150.6 |
| Apr | 2374 | 1865 | 2169 | 10.0 |
| May | 2476 | 1967 | 2271 | 00.0 |
| Jun | 2679 | 2271 | 2475 | 20.1 |
| Jul | 2781 | 2476 | 2679 | 160.6 |
| Aug | 2984 | 2679 | 2781 | 451.8 |
| Sep | 3086 | 2780 | 2883 | 461.8 |
| Oct | 2985 | 2577 | 2781 | 180.7 |
| Nov | 2780 | 2271 | 2475 | 20.1 |
| Dec | 2476 | 1966 | 2171 | 00.0 |
| Year | 3086 | 1762 | 2374 | 1505.9 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55% | 37% | 5.0 | 11:09 |
| Feb | 59% | 33% | 5.8 | 11:32 |
| Mar | 63% | 22% | 6.8 | 11:00 |
| Apr | 71% | 22% | 7.4 | 12:32 |
| May | 72% | 20% | 7.5 | 12:58 |
| Jun | 75% | 24% | 7.2 | 13:12 |
| Jul | 81% | 27% | 7.0 | 13:07 |
| Aug | 80% | 35% | 6.8 | 12:44 |
| Sep | 76% | 36% | 6.3 | 12:13 |
| Oct | 68% | 29% | 5.9 | 11:42 |
| Nov | 62% | 37% | 5.2 | 11:15 |
| Dec | 57% | 43% | 4.7 | 11:03 |
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 Nouakchott is like
The warmest month is September, with an average high of 30 °C86 °F and a low of 27 °C80 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 23 °C73 °F and lows 17 °C62 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 8.6 °C15.6 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is very dry, with only 150 mm5.9 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is August–October, which brings 73% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: October–July. The wettest month is September (46 mm1.8 in), the driest is May (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 55% in January to 81% in July. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 20%) are typical of May. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 13 km/h (8 mph) in September to 18 km/h (11 mph) in May. Daylight lasts from about 11.0 hours in December to 13.2 hours in June.
Best time to visit Nouakchott
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are October–August: average highs of 23 °C73 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 45 mm1.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is September, which is hot, with average highs of 30 °C86 °F and humid (76% 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 Nouakchott
- Wetter months (March, July–October) — highs 2475 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 1864 to 27 °C80 °F, about 28 mm1.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
- Drier months (November–February, April–June) — highs 2373 to 27 °C80 °F, lows 1762 to 22 °C71 °F, about 1 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Nouakchott compares
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: La Paz (Mexico, BWh), Los Cabos (San José del Cabo) (Mexico, BWh) and Cabo San Lucas (Mexico, BWh).
Nearby places
- Saint-Louis 236 km · 26 °C80 °F · 381 mm15 in
- Louga 276 km · 27 °C80 °F · 479 mm19 in
- Nouadhibou 336 km · 22 °C72 °F · 40 mm1.6 in
- Touba 359 km · 28 °C83 °F · 553 mm22 in
- Thiès 380 km · 25 °C78 °F · 535 mm21 in
- Diourbel 383 km · 28 °C82 °F · 636 mm25 in
- Pikine 399 km · 24 °C76 °F · 514 mm20 in
- Dakar 408 km · 24 °C76 °F · 556 mm22 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Nouakchott?
September is the warmest month in Nouakchott, with an average high of 30 °C (86 °F) and an average low of 27 °C (80 °F).
What is the coldest month in Nouakchott?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 23 °C (73 °F) and an average low of 17 °C (62 °F).
When does it rain the most in Nouakchott?
September is the wettest month with about 46 mm (1.8 in) of precipitation; May is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Nouakchott?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are October–August.
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.