Senegal Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Dakar, Touba, Thiès, Rufisque, and Saint-Louis
Summary
Senegal experienced exceptional warmth during July 2026, recording an average temperature of 29.72°C that sat 1.4°C above the baseline and marked its 8th warmest reading for the month on record. The stifling atmospheric heat coincided with a patchy start to the West African monsoon, straining rural agricultural communities. These local dynamics occurred alongside extraordinary global warmth and a moderate El Niño forecast to peak at Very Strong in Sep-Nov, as tracked at ENSO. High heat is expected to linger across the Sahel over the coming months.
This month in numbers
Senegal recorded an average temperature of 29.72°C during July 2026, representing a 1.4°C anomaly above the 1961–1990 baseline. Globally, land temperatures averaged 15.8°C with a 1.6°C anomaly, making it the 3rd warmest July on record worldwide.
What changed
Across the May–July period, Senegal maintained a 3-month average temperature of 30.97°C, which sits 1.1°C above average as the 12th warmest stretch in 87 years of records. Worldwide land temperatures over the same 3-month window registered 1.5°C above baseline, marking the 2nd warmest May–July globally. Although Senegal placed 146th out of 232 regions globally for its single-month anomaly, its multi-month trend reflects the widespread atmospheric heating seen across lower latitudes.
What’s driving change?
The elevated temperatures across Senegal are being exacerbated by , where delayed and inconsistent rainfall diminishes natural evaporative cooling. This lack of soil moisture promotes , forcing solar energy to heat the ground and air directly. Furthermore, global climate patterns are influenced by ENSO, with a moderate El Niño currently active and intensifying at ENSO. Historically, El Niño phase shifts tilt Sahelian weather toward warmer and drier conditions during the summer monsoon, though the local signal carries moderate historical variability.
Looking ahead
Seasonal climate models project a high probability that above-average heat and sporadic rainfall will persist across the Sahel over the next 1–3 months as El Niño continues to strengthen.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Senegal
Köppen BSh · AridSenegal has a arid climate (Köppen BSh: Hot steppe), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. May is typically the warmest month, averaging 32.3°C, while January is the coldest at 25.9°C. Annual precipitation averages around 685mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly precipitation.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Senegal
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Senegal
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Senegal
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Senegal
Latest month is provisional and may be revised by the data provider in the next update cycle.
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Senegal
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BSh · AridSenegal has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±3.2°C) and a wet/dry cycle (258× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Aug (-48 mm, -18%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Senegal
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Senegal changing?
Senegal is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Senegal?
Senegal has a arid climate (Köppen BSh: Hot steppe), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. May is typically the warmest month, averaging 32.3°C, while January is the coldest at 25.9°C. Annual precipitation averages around 685mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Senegal come from?
Climate data for Senegal comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Senegal climate data cover?
The Senegal climate profile covers Dakar, Touba, Thiès, Rufisque and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Senegal
How often is the Senegal climate update refreshed?
The Senegal climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Senegal climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Senegal climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.