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Climate - Cameroon


Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine

Flag - Cameroon

Map - Cameroon

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In Cameroon, the climate is tropical, semi-arid in the north, and humid and rainy in the rest of the country. Almost everywhere, there is a dry season in winter and a rainy season in summer due to the African monsoon, which is shorter in the north and longer in the south, while along the coast, even in winter there can be some showers. The northernmost part of the country, on the shores of Lake Chad, is the driest area, where less than 600 millimeters (23.5 inches) of rain fall per year, while the wettest is the coast, where rainfall exceeds 3,000 mm (120 in) per year (see the map).

Precipitation in Cameroon, inches and millimeters

In the southern inland region lies a plateau, located between 500 and 1,200 meters (1,600 and 3,900 feet) above sea level, where the altitude moderates the climate, making the heat more bearable.

Index


  • North - Maroua
  • The plateau - Ngaoundéré, Yaoundé
  • The coast - Douala

The north



In the north, the climate is hot and semi-arid, with a rainy season from mid-May to September, while the rest of the year is characterized by hot and dry weather, often scorching. In the winter months, a dry wind from the desert blows, the Harmattan, which raises dust, creating a typical mist; sometimes, this wind can also reach the center and the south. Nights can be cool, sometimes even cold: lows can drop to around freezing (0 °C or 32 °F) in the far north. The northernmost area belongs to the climate zone called Sahel, while more to the south, we find the savannah zone.

North Cameroon

Maroua

In Maroua, precipitation amounts to 760 millimeters (30 inches) per year, most of which fall from May to September, with a maximum of 235 mm (9.2 in) in August. Here is the average precipitation.
Maroua - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January000
February000
March102
April200.83
May602.47
June1003.910
July1957.715
August2359.317
September1305.113
October2514
November000
December000
Year76029.971

August is also the coolest month, the only one in which the average maximum temperature is 30 °C (86 °F), but at this time, the air is moist. In the winter months, it gets hot during the day, while nights can be cool; the hottest period runs from March to May, when the temperature often reaches 40 °C (104 °F); the highest recorded temperatures in this region are about 47/48 °C (117/118 °F). After the rains, in October and November, the scorching heat comes back, albeit less intense, around 35 °C (95 °F), with peaks of 40 °C (104 °F). Here are the average temperatures.
Maroua - Average temperatures (1991-2020)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January173224.5639076.1
February193527669580.6
March233830.57310086.9
April254032.57710490.5
May253831.57710088.7
June233529739584.2
July223227729080.6
August213025.5708677.9
September213226.5709079.7
October213528709582.4
November193527669580.6
December173325639177
Year21.134.627.757094.282

In the north, the sun regularly shines in the long dry season, while in the rainy season, the hours of sunshine decrease a little; the least sunny months are July and August. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Maroua - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January9285
February9.5265
March9275
April8245
May8255
June7.5225
July6195
August6190
September7210
October8.5260
November9.5285
December9.5300
Year8.22990

The plateau



Proceeding south, in the south-central plateau, the rainy season it's longer, while the heat is less intense because cloud cover and early rains prevent the temperature from rising in spring, and also because of altitude.

Ngaoundéré

Ngaoundéré is located at 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) above sea level, so it can get hot during the day but generally without excesses, while nights can be cool. Here are the average temperatures.
Ngaoundéré - Average temperatures (1991-2020)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January113120.7518769.2
February133222.5569072.6
March173324.9629176.8
April193124.7658776.5
May182923.6658474.5
June182822.8648273.1
July182622.1648071.8
August182622647971.6
September172722.3638172.1
October172922.7628372.8
November143021.8568671.3
December113020.7528669.3
Year15.829.322.560.584.872.5

In Ngaoundéré, the rainy season runs from April to October, and precipitation amounts to 1,500 mm (60 in) per year, including 285 mm (11 in) in August. Here is the average precipitation.
Ngaoundéré - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January30.10
February50.21
March451.85
April1355.313
May1857.318
June2258.920
July27010.622
August28511.222
September2509.823
October1305.115
November100.42
December000
Year154060.6141

In the northern part of the plateau, the sun regularly shines in the dry season, while in the rainy season, the sky is often cloudy.
Ngaoundéré - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January9285
February9260
March7.5235
April6.5195
May6.5195
June5.5165
July4130
August4130
September4.5140
October6185
November9265
December9.5290
Year6.82470

Further to the south, in the rest of the plateau of central and southern Cameroon, total annual rainfall is still around 1,500 mm (60 in), but the rainy season is even longer, so as to make possible the growth of the forest.

Yaoundé

In the capital, Yaoundé, located at 700 meters (2,300 feet) above sea level, 1,500 mm (60 in) of rain fall per year, but the rains occur from March to November, with two peaks in May and October, interrupted by a relative pause in July and August, when they do not exceed 120 mm (4.7 in) per month: in these months, however, the sky is still often cloudy. Here is the average precipitation.
Yaoundé - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January200.83
February451.84
March1254.912
April1706.714
May2007.917
June1556.114
July75311
August1154.512
September2309.120
October29511.623
November953.711
December200.83
Year154060.6144

Here too, the altitude makes the heat bearable; in fact, average highs are around 30 °C (86 °F) in the dry months and around 27/28 °C (81/82 °F) in the rainy months. Here are the average temperatures.
Yaoundé - Average temperatures (1991-2020)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January203024.8678676.6
February213125.8708878.5
March213025.7708778.2
April213025.2698677.4
May202924.9698576.8
June202723.9698175
July202623.3687973.9
August202623.2687973.8
September202723.7688174.6
October202824.1688375.4
November202924.5688476
December202924.4678575.9
Year20.228.724.468.483.676

In Yaoundé, the sun does not shine very often: in the rainy season, the sky is often cloudy, but even in the driest period, from December to February, the sun doesn't shine so frequently, not going above 6 hours a day.
Yaoundé - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January5.5170
February6.5180
March5.5170
April5.5165
May5.5165
June4125
July395
August385
September3.5100
October4130
November5.5165
December6180
Year4.81740

Yaoundé

The coast



Along the coast, hot and humid weather reigns throughout the year. This is actually the wettest area of Cameroon, where rainfall exceeds 2,000 mm (80 in) per year. In addition to the proximity to the Equator, which results in a strong solar radiation, we must add warm and humid air masses coming from the sea in the period of the African monsoon, which causes heavy rains from May to October, albeit with a decrease in rainfall from mid-June to mid-August in the southern part.
In Kribi, 2,800 mm (110 in) of rain fall per year, with a first peak of 320 mm (12.5 in) in May, a decrease to "only" 125 mm (4.9 in) in July, and a maximum of 500 mm (20 in) in September and October; however, even in December and January, the driest months, the rainfall does not go below 80 mm (3.2 in). So, the climate here is almost equatorial, without a real dry season.

Douala

The rainiest city of Cameroon is Douala, north of Kribi but still on the coast, where 3,600 mm (140 in) of rain fall per year, of which more than 500 mm (20 in) fall per month from July to September: so, here, there is no decrease in the mid-summer months; here too, in winter there may be some showers, but a little less frequently than in Kribi. Here is the average precipitation.
Douala - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January351.45
February552.29
March1556.115
April2409.418
May27510.821
June3551423
July68026.827
August69027.230
September5602226
October40515.924
November1254.912
December301.25
Year3605141.9215

On the coast, the temperatures are high throughout the year, however, they decrease during the rainy season, when the air is humid, but a lively breeze blows from the ocean. Here are the average temperatures.
Douala - Average temperatures (1991-2020)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January243328.5769183.4
February253328.9769284
March243328.5769183.4
April243228.1759082.6
May243227.9759082.2
June243026.9748780.4
July232925.9748378.6
August232825.6748378.1
September232926.2748579.2
October233026.8748780.2
November243127.5748881.4
December243228.3769082.9
Year23.731.127.3574.78881.5

On average, the coast, like the southern part of the plateau, is never very sunny, even in the driest months.
Douala - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January6195
February6.5180
March5.5170
April6175
May5.5175
June4125
July2.570
August1.555
September390
October4130
November5.5160
December6185
Year4.71715

The sea temperature in Cameroon is high throughout the year, as can be seen from the following table.
Douala - Sea temperature
MonthCelsius (°C)Fahrenheit (°F)
January2883
February2984
March2984
April2985
May2984
June2883
July2781
August2680
September2780
October2781
November2882
December2883
Year2882.4

At a short distance from the coast, we find the highest peak of the country: Mount Cameroon, a volcano of 4,040 meters (13,255 feet); up to about 2,500 meters (8,200 ft), the slopes are very rainy and are covered with forests, while above 3,000 meters (9,800 ft), it's cold all year round.

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 Ngaoundéré
 Yaoundé

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