Climate - Sudan

The climate in detail

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• Red Sea coast - Port Sudan
• The north - Wadi Halfa
• The center - Khartoum
• The south - Nyala
• When to go
• What to pack

Red Sea coast

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On the coast of the Red Sea, winter is warm, with highs around 27/28 °C (81/82 °F), while summer is stifling, with a combination of heat and humidity that is hard to bear. The rains, poor, occur mostly between October and January, in fact, in autumn and winter, the prevailing north-east currents deposit a bit of moisture as precipitation on the coast after passing over the sea.

Port Sudan

In Port Sudan, only 110 mm (4.3 in) of rain fall per year, with a maximum of 50 mm (2 in) in November, while in Suakin, more to the south, rainfall reaches 120 mm (4.7 in) per year. So, we are still at desert levels. However, along the coast, an intense downpour or thunderstorm can sometimes occur, which can unload an entire month's rainfall in a few hours. Here is the average precipitation in Port Sudan.

Here are the average temperatures of Port Sudan.

In Port Sudan, the sun often shines all year round; however, some cloudiness can be formed both in winter and in summer. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

The sea is warm all year round, and in summer, when it exceeds 30 °C (86 °F), it becomes one of the warmest seas in the world.

So the coast can be considered a world apart, both because of the higher humidity and because of the rainfall pattern.
On the contrary, the interior of Sudan is desert in the north, and progressively rainier as you move southward, where the rains occur in the summer season.

The north

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In the north, occupied by a portion of the Saharan desert (whose part located to the east of the Nile is called Nubian Desert, while the western part is called Libyan Desert), the climate is desert, and in particular, the northernmost area, near the border with Egypt, is one of the driest and sunniest in the world.
The Nubian desert is particularly desolate, devoid of oasis and therefore of settlements, of course, apart from the banks of the Nile, where the remains of the ancient Egyptian and Nubian civilizations are found, as well as more recent settlements.
In winter, temperatures are pleasantly warm during the day and cool at night, even cold at times, especially in the far north, where it can occasionally drop to around freezing (0 °C or 32 °F). The rest of the year is definitely hot, with highs around 40 °C (104 °F) from May to September, but with records of 50/52 °C (122/126 °F). Wind can raise sandstorms at any time of the year.

Wadi Halfa

Here are the average temperatures of Wadi Halfa, located in the far north, on the shores of Lake Nasser.

In the north, the sun shines all year round, as we can see in the following table.

In Wadi Halfa it basically never rains.
More to the south, already at the latitude of the Bayuda Desert, in the "S" described by the course of the Nile, during summer, there is a slight increase in humidity, a decrease in temperature, and a few rare downpours in July and August, brought by the last offshoots of the summer monsoon.

The center

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In the center, it is hot even in winter. Unlike in the north, the hottest period goes from April to June, because later, some clouds and rain arrive, which lower the temperature slightly. However, the climate is still desert or semi-desert.

Khartoum

A few hundred kilometers (or miles) to the south, and at the center of the country, we find Khartoum (Al Khurtum), the capital, located at 400 meters (1,300 feet) above sea level, where the White Nile and the Blue Nile river meet.
With an annual average temperature of 30.5 °C (87 °F), Khartoum is one of the hottest capitals in the world. Even winter is hot, with highs around 31 °C (88 °F) in January, but it can sometimes get a bit cold at night, in fact, the cold record is 8 °C (46.5 °F). In spring, the temperatures increase rapidly, and they reach 40 °C (104 °F) already in April; in April and May, the temperature have sometimes reached as high as 47 °C (117 °F).
In July and August, under the influence of the monsoon, which brings a bit of rain, the temperature decreases slightly, but it remains very high, around 37/39 °C (99/102 °F), and then, between October and November, at the end of the monsoon, it increases slightly again.
Here are the average temperatures.

Annual precipitation in the capital is very low, and amounts to 120 mm (4.7 in), with a maximum of 50 mm (2 in) in August. However, due to poor drainage, Khartoum can sometimes be hit by flash-floods, during intense thunderstorms. Furthermore, in summer, the city can be affected by the overflowing of the two rivers that cross it, caused by rains that occur in the south, in the rainier area. Here is the average precipitation.

In Khartoum, the sun shines all year round, but in summer, the hours of sunshine diminish a bit.

In May or June, when the front of moist air from the south invades the central part of Sudan, it can give rise to a phenomenon called Haboob, a sand storm that advances like a wall, and then reduces visibility to zero.



In the Western Darfur region lies Jebel Marra, a mountain range with volcanic craters occupied by lakes, such as Deriba Caldera, about 3,000 meters (9,800 ft) high. Here, the climate is temperate because of altitude, and since the rains are more abundant, i.e. at the level of the southernmost areas, the landscape is greener than in the surrounding areas.

The south

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Continuing south, annual rainfall increases gradually, reaching 700 mm (27.5 in) in the southernmost part. Almost all of Sudan is practically arid or semi-arid; the greenest area, geographically and culturally different, has been separated in 2011, and gave birth to South Sudan.
Anyway, in the southernmost part, eg in the Nuba Mountains, the rainy season is quite long (from May to October, peaking from June to September) and intense, so much so that there is a savannah-type environment. The climate in the Nuba Mountains, but also in the south-east, in the Dinder National Park, despite the altitude of around 500 meters (1,600 feet), is hot even in winter, with highs around 35 °C (95 °F), while in spring, the temperature rises to around 40 °C (104 °F) and more; the summer is muggy and rainy, while autumn becomes torrid (that is, very hot and dry) again.
During some years, particularly heavy rains in the south can cause floods.

Nyala

Here are the average temperatures of Nyala, in South Darfur, at 650 meters (2,100 ft) above sea level.

In Nyala, 430 mm (17 in) of rain fall per year, with a maximum of more than 100 mm (4 in) in July and August. Here is the average precipitation.

In Nyala, clouds are a little more frequent than in Khartoum, especially in summer, and in July and August, there are 7 hours of sunshine a day.

When to go

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The best time to travel to Sudan is winter, and in particular, the months of December and January. There is sunny weather everywhere, except on the the Red Sea coast, where there can be a bit of cloudiness and some showers. In the south and the east, it's hot during the day, but generally cool at night, while in the north, it can get cold at night.
By February, the temperature begins to rise across the country, and in the south, where it was already intense, it becomes scorching.

What to pack

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In winter: bring light-colored clothing, light and long shirts and pants of natural fibers (cotton, linen), especially in the south, where it is hot even in winter; turban for the desert and the wind from the desert, sunglasses (even graduated instead of contact lenses), a jacket and a sweater for the evening, and desert boots or sandals. For the Red Sea coast, light clothing, a sweatshirt for the evening, and a raincoat or umbrella. When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.

In summer: for the inland areas, bring lightweight clothes, long and made of natural fabric (cotton or linen), a desert turban; possibly a sweater and a sleeping bag for outdoor overnight stays. For the south, light clothes, a light raincoat or umbrella for the rains, a light sweatshirt. For the Red Sea coast, lightweight clothes. When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes. It's better for women to avoid shorts and miniskirts.

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