Tambacounda climate

Senegal · 13.77°N, 13.67°W · elevation 32 m · population 149,071

Warmest month
May
high 42 °C108 °F
Coldest month
December
low 17 °C63 °F
Wettest month
August
223 mm8.8 in
Best time to visit
October and December
by our comfort score
Annual precipitation
654 mm26 in
December driest
Year average
29 °C85 °F
hot semi-arid (BSh)

Tambacounda (Senegal) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 29 °C85 °F, and about 654 mm26 in of precipitation falls in an average year.

Temperature by month

Average highAverage low
15°20°25°30°35°40°45°60°70°80°90°100°110°JFMAMJJASOND42°108°17°63°January: high 34 °C / 94 °F, low 17 °C / 63 °FFebruary: high 37 °C / 99 °F, low 20 °C / 67 °FMarch: high 40 °C / 105 °F, low 22 °C / 72 °FApril: high 42 °C / 108 °F, low 25 °C / 77 °FMay: high 42 °C / 108 °F, low 27 °C / 80 °FJune: high 39 °C / 102 °F, low 27 °C / 80 °FJuly: high 34 °C / 93 °F, low 25 °C / 76 °FAugust: high 31 °C / 88 °F, low 24 °C / 75 °FSeptember: high 31 °C / 88 °F, low 24 °C / 74 °FOctober: high 33 °C / 91 °F, low 23 °C / 73 °FNovember: high 34 °C / 94 °F, low 20 °C / 67 °FDecember: high 34 °C / 93 °F, low 17 °C / 63 °F

Precipitation by month

Precipitation per month (mminches)
05010015020025002468JJanuary: 1 mm / 0.0 inFFebruary: 0 mm / 0.0 inMMarch: 1 mm / 0.0 inAApril: 0 mm / 0.0 inMMay: 6 mm / 0.2 inJJune: 63 mm / 2.5 inJJuly: 130 mm / 5.1 inAAugust: 223 mm / 8.8 inSSeptember: 177 mm / 7.0 inOOctober: 52 mm / 2.0 inNNovember: 2 mm / 0.1 inDDecember: 0 mm / 0.0 in2238.8

Tambacounda climate table

Monthly averages, 2001–2025
MonthHigh °C°FLow °C°FMean °C°FPrecip. mmin
Jan34941763267810.0
Feb37992067288300.0
Mar401052272318810.0
Apr421082577349300.0
May421082780359460.2
Jun3910227803391632.5
Jul3493257629851305.1
Aug3188247528822238.8
Sep3188247427811777.0
Oct339123732882522.0
Nov34942067278120.1
Dec34931763267800.0
Year421081763298565426

“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.

Humidity, cloud, sun and daylight
MonthHumid.CloudSolarDaylight
Jan18%38%5.311:24
Feb15%33%6.011:41
Mar15%31%6.712:01
Apr18%38%7.012:26
May26%51%6.712:46
Jun47%64%6.112:56
Jul69%73%5.612:52
Aug81%78%5.312:35
Sep84%67%5.412:11
Oct75%50%5.611:48
Nov50%38%5.411:28
Dec31%39%5.111:19

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 Tambacounda is like

The warmest month is May, with an average high of 42 °C108 °F and a low of 27 °C80 °F. The coldest is December, when highs average 34 °C93 °F and lows 17 °C63 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 9.1 °C16.4 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.

Annual precipitation is moderate at about 654 mm26 in. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 81% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–May. The wettest month is August (223 mm8.8 in), the driest is December (0 mm0.0 in).

Relative humidity ranges from 15% in March to 84% in September. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 31%) are typical of March. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in October to 13 km/h (8 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 11.3 hours in December to 12.9 hours in June.

Best time to visit Tambacounda

Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are October and December. Average highs then reach 33 °C91 °F to 34 °C93 °F. Precipitation is 0 mm0.0 in to 52 mm2.0 in per month.

The most challenging month is April, which is hot, with average highs of 42 °C108 °F.

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 Tambacounda

  • Wetter months (June–September) — highs 3188 to 39 °C102 °F, lows 2474 to 27 °C80 °F, about 148 mm5.8 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 3391 to 42 °C108 °F, lows 1763 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 Tambacounda compares

The nearest larger place is Kayes, about 251 km to the east. Compared with it, Tambacounda has practically the same average temperature. It receives 7% less precipitation (654 mm26 in vs 707 mm28 in). The difference is largest in May (1.3 °C2.3 °F cooler).

World Climates covers 12 places in Senegal. By annual mean temperature, Tambacounda is the warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 4th wettest. See all of them on the Senegal climate page.

Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Kayes (Mali, BSh), Gereida (Sudan, BSh) and El Daein (Sudan, BSh).

Nearby places

All places in Senegal

Frequently asked questions

What is the warmest month in Tambacounda?

May is the warmest month in Tambacounda. Its average high is 42 °C (108 °F) and its average low is 27 °C (80 °F).

What is the coldest month in Tambacounda?

December is the coldest month. Its average high is 34 °C (93 °F) and its average low is 17 °C (63 °F).

When does it rain the most in Tambacounda?

August is the wettest month with about 223 mm (8.8 in) of precipitation. December is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).

What is the best time to visit Tambacounda?

Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are October and December.

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.

Sources and method