Burkina Faso Weather

Burkina Faso climate

Burkina Faso has a tropical climate with a pronounced dry season and a single wet season governed by the West African Monsoon. Ouagadougou, the capital, experiences extreme heat from March to May when temperatures frequently exceed 40°C before the cooling rains arrive. The country lies in the Sahel transition zone between the Sahara Desert to the north and the humid Guinea coast to the south.

The rainy season runs from June to October in the south and July to September in the drier north, with annual rainfall ranging from 600mm in the Sahelian north to 1,100mm in the Sudanese south. Mesoscale convective systems produce some of West Africa's most intense thunderstorms, with squall lines that can span hundreds of kilometers and deliver heavy rainfall, damaging winds, and frequent lightning. Flash flooding in urban areas like Ouagadougou has become an increasing concern.

The dry season from November to May is dominated by the harmattan, a hot, dust-laden wind from the Sahara that reduces visibility and drops relative humidity below 15%. Nighttime temperatures during December and January can drop to 15°C in the north, creating a surprising chill in an otherwise sweltering country. Weather Scope provides vital weather intelligence for Burkina Faso's farmers, travelers, and communities navigating the challenges of Sahelian climate variability.