Climatology
This page presents Burkina Faso's climate context for the current climatology, 1991-2020, derived from observed, historical data. Information should be used to build a strong understanding of current climate conditions in order to appreciate future climate scenarios and projected change. You can visualize data for the current climatology through spatial variation, the seasonal cycle, or as a time series. Analysis is available for both annual and seasonal data. Data presentation defaults to national-scale aggregation, however sub-national data aggregations can be accessed by clicking within a country, on a sub-national unit. Other historical climatologies can be selected from the Time Period dropdown list.
Observed, historical data is produced by the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) of University of East Anglia. Data is presented at a 0.5º x 0.5º (50km x 50km) resolution.
Burkina Faso experiences high temperatures and variable rainfall. Three climate zones split the country from north to south: the Sahelian zone in the north with rainfall less than 600 millimeters per year (mm/year), the Sudano-Sahelian region on a savanna plateau (Mossi Plateau) with rainfall from 600-900 mm/year and slightly cooler temperatures, and the southern more humid Sudanian zone with rainfall averages between 900-1200 mm/year. Each of these zones experiences a pronounced wet and dry season, with the wet season extending over a two-month period in the north and a six-month period in the south. The rainy season starts slowly in late March to early April in the southwest, extending gradually toward the center of the country in May and June, and reaching the northern extents in June or early July. The dry season is influenced by the harmattans, or dry, easterly winds that bring hot air to Burkina Faso from March to May.