Bamako climate: temperatures, rainfall and the best time to visit, month by month
Bamako has a tropical savanna climate: a long hot dry season, then a rainy season concentrated in summer. The figures below are the official 1991-2020 climate normals of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for the Bamako-Sénou station (airport, 380 m altitude), published by the US agency NOAA.
Key points (1991-2020 normals)
- 947 mm of rain a year, over about 67 days, almost all between June and September.
- August is the wettest month: 264 mm over 16 rainy days on average.
- April is the hottest: 39.5 °C average maximum, 25 °C at night.
- December and January are the coolest: minimums around 17 °C.
- The dry season is almost total from November to March: under one rainy day a month.
Month by month
| Month | Avg. max | Avg. min | Rainfall | Rainy days (≥ 1 mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32.6 °C | 17.2 °C | 2 mm | 0.2 |
| February | 35.7 °C | 20.1 °C | 1 mm | 0.1 |
| March | 38.3 °C | 22.9 °C | 4 mm | 0.4 |
| April | 39.5 °C | 25.1 °C | 18 mm | 2.2 |
| May | 37.9 °C | 25.2 °C | 71 mm | 5.8 |
| June | 34.8 °C | 23.3 °C | 130 mm | 9.6 |
| July | 31.6 °C | 22.0 °C | 227 mm | 14.1 |
| August | 30.6 °C | 21.7 °C | 264 mm | 16.3 |
| September | 31.9 °C | 21.5 °C | 176 mm | 12.5 |
| October | 34.5 °C | 21.1 °C | 53 mm | 5.4 |
| November | 35.4 °C | 17.9 °C | 2 mm | 0.3 |
| December | 33.3 °C | 16.8 °C | 0 mm | 0.0 |
| Year | 34.7 °C | 21.2 °C | 947 mm | 66.9 |
The three seasons
Cool dry season (November to February). Days stay warm, 32 to 36 °C, but nights drop to around 17 °C in December and January. It hardly rains at all: December recorded no rain on average over thirty years. It is the most comfortable time for a stay or a move.
Hot dry season (March to May). Heat climbs to nearly 40 °C average maximum in April, with nights at 25 °C. The first rains arrive in May (6 days on average). Plan for air conditioning or fans, and drink plenty.
Rainy season (June to October). Three months bring most of the rain: July, August and September total 667 mm, over two thirds of the year. Rain can be very heavy: the wettest July of the period received 397 mm, in 2004. It cools the air, to around 31 °C maximum in August, but makes some roads hard to use. See our guide to Bamako's neighbourhoods to locate low-lying areas and riverbanks.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to visit Bamako?
November to February: it barely rains and nights are coolest (about 17 °C in December and January).
What is the hottest month in Bamako?
April, with an average maximum of 39.5 °C over 1991-2020.
When is the rainy season in Bamako?
June to September, peaking in August (264 mm on average); October and May are transition months.
How much rain does Bamako get a year?
947 mm on average over 1991-2020, on about 67 rainy days.
Official source (checked on 17 October 2026)
- World Meteorological Organization, 1991-2020 climate normals, Bamako-Sénou station no. 61291 (file published by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information): rainfall, rainy days, maximum, minimum and mean temperatures.