Weather locations in Cote d'ivoire

The climate of Cote d'Ivoire runs from the humid tropical forest belt along the Gulf of Guinea to the drier savanna of the north, and that contrast is the whole story of the country's weather. The southern coast sits close to the equator, the forest strip behind it holds most of the population, and the northern borderlands belong to the Sudanian savanna where the rainfall halves.

Main climate types

The south, including Abidjan and the Ebrie lagoon, is tropical wet, taking over 1,500 millimetres a year. The central forest zone, around Yamoussoukro and Soubre, is transitional and receives about 1,100 to 1,200 millimetres. The north, from Korhogo and Ferkessedougou north to the Burkina Faso border, is Sudanian savanna with a single long wet season and a long dry winter. The range around Man pushes the western forest to some of the heaviest rain in West Africa.

Temperatures

Abidjan has January means near 27 degrees Celsius and July about 26, with high humidity and a hazy, dusty dry season from December to February. Further north the swing is wider: Korhogo averages about 25 in January and 28 in July, and the coolest nights of the year in the north fall around December and January. Coastal nights rarely drop below 20 degrees.

Rainfall

Abidjan receives about 1,800 to 2,000 millimetres a year, with a long wet season from May to July and a shorter one in November, and heavy cloud much of the year. The northern savanna takes about 1,000 millimetres, all of it between June and October, while the far north is closer to 700. The mountain area near Man is the wettest part of the country, exceeding 2,000 millimetres.

When to go

The dry season from December to February, when the harmattan blows from the north-east, is generally the most comfortable time of year, especially in the north. The wettest months, May to July, bring constant rain and high humidity, and the best beach weather is usually between November and March.