Burkina faso
Weather locations in Burkina faso
Choose a location in Burkina faso to view its available forecast products.
Burkina faso illustrated weather map
6 mapped locations
Only locations with a verified coordinate are marked. The complete location list is below.
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Climate of Burkina faso
Country climate guideBurkina Faso is a landlocked country in the Sahel, between about 12 and 15 degrees north, with no coastline and no large water body to moderate it. Everything about its climate follows from that position: high sun, long hot days and a narrow wet season that arrives, dominates one part of the year and then leaves. It is one of the hottest countries in Africa, and its rainfall is both scarce and erratic.
Main climate types
The whole country is classed as hot semi-arid, with steppe in the south grading towards desert in the north. The year has three parts: a long dry season from about October or November to May, a short inter-season in June when the winds swing round to the south-west, and a wet season from July to early October, when south-west monsoon air brings most of the annual rain. Droughts in the 1970s and 1980s showed how far below normal a single season can fall here.
Temperatures
Monthly mean temperatures in the south, at Bobo-Dioulasso, run from about 25 °C in July and August to 28 or 29 °C in April, the hottest month. In the north the daily range is much larger, and in some northern districts the swing between afternoon and dawn can exceed 20 °C. Readings above 40 °C in April and May in the northern provinces are well documented, and it is the combination of heat and wind rather than the peak temperature that makes the dry season difficult.
Rainfall
Annual rainfall decreases steadily northwards, from more than 1,000 mm in the south-west to below 400 mm in the north, and the number of rainy months falls from about six to three. Almost all of it comes in a few heavy downpours rather than gentle rain, and much is lost to run-off and evaporation.
When to go
The cooler months are November to February, when the harmattan gives hazy, cooler days and pleasant nights, though dust and poor visibility are common. The wet season is greener and more comfortable at night, but brings storms that can cut roads. For most travellers the December to February window is the best balance of heat, sky and access.