Climate Change Overview

Country Summary

This page presents high-level information for Guinea's climate zones and its seasonal cycle for mean temperature and precipitation for the latest climatology, 1991-2020. Climate zone classifications are derived from the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, which divides climates into five main climate groups divided based on seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns. The five main groups are A (tropical), B (dry), C (temperate), D (continental), and E (polar). All climates except for those in the E group are assigned a seasonal precipitation sub-group (second letter).  Climate classifications are identified by hovering your mouse over the legend. A narrative overview of Guinea's country context and climate is provided following the visualizations.

Guinea is located in West Africa between the latitudes of 7-13° N along the Atlantic Ocean. The West African nation of Guinea is bordered to the north by Guinea Bissau, Senegal, and Mali, and to the south by Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Côte d'Ivoire. The country spans 245,858 km2 and stretches along the Atlantic for 300 km. Guinea had a population of 12.9 million as of 2020. 

Agriculture and natural resources, especially mining and hydropower resources, as well as the manufacturing and services sectors, are some of Guinea's economic assets. Agriculture is the country's main source of employment and is critical for poverty reduction and rural development, providing income for 57% of rural households and employment for 52% of the workforce.

With its present favorable climate for agriculture (average annual rainfall of 1200 mm in the North and Northeast, 4000 mm in Conakry and up to 1800 mm in the mountains of Fouta-Djalon), Guinea is both exposed and sensitive to climate change and has very little capacity to adapt. Generally hot and humid; Guinea has monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) and with northeasterly harmattan winds.