Sokoto climate
Sokoto (Nigeria) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 28 °C82 °F, and about 700 mm28 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Sokoto climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3189 | 1457 | 2373 | 00.0 |
| Feb | 3596 | 1763 | 2679 | 00.0 |
| Mar | 39102 | 2170 | 3086 | 10.0 |
| Apr | 41105 | 2578 | 3391 | 70.3 |
| May | 39102 | 2780 | 3391 | 331.3 |
| Jun | 3697 | 2678 | 3187 | 943.7 |
| Jul | 3391 | 2475 | 2883 | 1696.7 |
| Aug | 3086 | 2373 | 2679 | 2509.8 |
| Sep | 3188 | 2272 | 2780 | 1214.8 |
| Oct | 3392 | 2170 | 2781 | 230.9 |
| Nov | 3493 | 1763 | 2578 | 00.0 |
| Dec | 3289 | 1558 | 2374 | 00.0 |
| Year | 41105 | 1457 | 2882 | 70028 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20% | 22% | 5.6 | 11:26 |
| Feb | 16% | 24% | 6.1 | 11:42 |
| Mar | 15% | 35% | 6.4 | 12:02 |
| Apr | 27% | 52% | 6.5 | 12:25 |
| May | 44% | 63% | 6.3 | 12:43 |
| Jun | 55% | 64% | 6.1 | 12:53 |
| Jul | 67% | 69% | 5.9 | 12:49 |
| Aug | 80% | 75% | 5.6 | 12:33 |
| Sep | 79% | 52% | 6.1 | 12:11 |
| Oct | 61% | 34% | 6.1 | 11:49 |
| Nov | 34% | 22% | 5.8 | 11:30 |
| Dec | 26% | 19% | 5.5 | 11:22 |
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 Sokoto is like
The warmest month is April, with an average high of 41 °C105 °F and a low of 25 °C78 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 31 °C89 °F and lows 14 °C57 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 10.2 °C18.4 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 700 mm28 in. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 77% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–April. The wettest month is August (250 mm9.8 in), the driest is December (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 15% in March to 80% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 19%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (3 mph) in September to 11 km/h (7 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 11.4 hours in December to 12.9 hours in June.
Best time to visit Sokoto
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December and January: average highs of 31 °C89 °F to 32 °C89 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 0 mm0.0 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is August, which is hot, with average highs of 30 °C86 °F, very wet (250 mm9.8 in) and humid (80% 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 Sokoto
- Wetter months (June–September) — highs 3086 to 36 °C97 °F, lows 2272 to 26 °C78 °F, about 159 mm6.2 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 3189 to 41 °C105 °F, lows 1457 to 27 °C80 °F, about 8 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Sokoto compares
Compared with Niamey, about 343 km to the west, Sokoto is on average 1.3 °C2.3 °F cooler and receives 28% more precipitation (700 mm28 in vs 546 mm21 in). The difference is largest in October (2.2 °C4 °F cooler).
Of the 74 places in Nigeria covered by World Climates, Sokoto is the 8th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 65th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Nigeria climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Ségou (Mali, BSh), Ouahigouya (Burkina Faso, BSh) and Maradi (Niger, BSh).
Nearby places
- Birnin Kebbi 132 km · 28 °C82 °F · 790 mm31 in
- Gusau 183 km · 27 °C80 °F · 748 mm29 in
- Tahoua 203 km · 28 °C83 °F · 464 mm18 in
- Maradi 207 km · 28 °C82 °F · 552 mm22 in
- Katsina 256 km · 27 °C80 °F · 691 mm27 in
- Funtua 282 km · 24 °C76 °F · 871 mm34 in
- Niamey 343 km · 29 °C84 °F · 546 mm21 in
- Zaria 346 km · 24 °C76 °F · 1,129 mm44 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Sokoto?
April is the warmest month in Sokoto, with an average high of 41 °C (105 °F) and an average low of 25 °C (78 °F).
What is the coldest month in Sokoto?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 31 °C (89 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (57 °F).
When does it rain the most in Sokoto?
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 Sokoto?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December and 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.