Senegal Climate
Top 5 Cities: Dakar, Touba, Thiès, Rufisque, and Saint-Louis
This month in numbers
Senegal experienced its 6th warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 31.97°C, marking an anomaly of +1.6°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The global land temperature for April 2026 also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record, with an anomaly of +1.1°C. Looking at the broader picture, the February–April 2026 period in Senegal was the 25th warmest on record, with an anomaly of +0.7°C.
What changed
Over the past three months (February–April 2026), Senegal's average temperature was 29.31°C, an increase of +0.7°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This places Senegal at 224th out of 234 regions for its 3-month anomaly, indicating that while the region is warming, many other areas globally are experiencing more significant temperature shifts. In contrast, the global land temperature for the same three-month period ranked as the 2nd warmest on record, with an anomaly of +1.2°C.
What’s driving change?
The warming trend in Senegal is influenced by the broader global climate change patterns, with the land warming faster than the ocean. The region is also experiencing , as a warmer atmosphere and ENSO swings are making monsoon rains more erratic. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with an anomaly of +0.11°C for February-April 2026. However, forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of El Niño developing from May-July 2026 onwards, with probabilities reaching 98% by August-October 2026. For the Sahel region, El Niño typically brings warmer and drier conditions, potentially leading to a drier West African monsoon and reduced cereal yields. Senegal's meteorological authorities have already warned of a potentially difficult 2026 rainy season, with forecasts pointing to delayed rains, prolonged dry spells, and below-normal precipitation, alongside an increased risk of flooding later in the season. This could exacerbate existing challenges, as coastal floods have already displaced thousands in Senegal, with over 57,000 people displaced in 2024 alone.
Looking ahead
With a strong El Niño forecast for the coming months, Senegal can anticipate a warmer and drier period, which could impact the crucial monsoon season and agricultural yields.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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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.
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 trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
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.