Gao climate — normals and trends
Gao (Burkina Faso) has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 27.9 °C and it receives 720 mm of precipitation per year.
These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.
The warmest month is April (32.0 °C on average) and the coldest is August (25.3 °C). Rainfall peaks in August.
Gao averages 0 frost days, 302 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 109 rainy days per year.
Gao has warmed by +1.9 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.23 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 42.8 °C (on 6 April 1983) and the coldest 12.6 °C (on 10 January 1957).
Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.
Climate normals · ERA5
GaoCentre-Ouest Region
- coords
- 11.65°, -2.18°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
27.9°C
Average daily high
33.7°C
Average daily low
22.7°C
Annual rainfall
720mm
Sunshine / day
10.8h
Mean relative humidity
51%
Average peak wind
15.1km/h
Seasonal range
6.7°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
302 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
109 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
35.7 °C
Average feels-like low
23.2 °C
Average peak gust
32.6 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
304 d/yr
Solar radiation
21.3 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.9 °C
since 1940
+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.68 · p = < 0.001
Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).
A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.
Records for the period
Hottest day
42.8 °C
6 April 1983
Coldest day
12.6 °C
10 January 1957
Wettest day
149 mm
17 September 2017
Windiest day
33.3 km/h
27 May 1946
Strongest gust
60.8 km/h
24 January 1992
Hottest feels-like
47.0 °C
25 April 2025
Coldest feels-like
7.9 °C
10 January 1957
Sunniest day
12.2 h
6 July 2023
Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.
A specific year
Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?
Across the whole year
Month by month
| High | vs. normal | Precipitation | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35.0 °C | +1.8 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
| Feb | 36.8 °C | +1.1 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
| Mar | 39.6 °C | +1.8 °C | 6 mm | -0 mm |
| Apr | 39.1 °C | +1.1 °C | 3 mm | -22 mm |
| May | 36.4 °C | +0.2 °C | 12 mm | -42 mm |
| Jun | 34.0 °C | +0.9 °C | 40 mm | -35 mm |
| Jul | 30.0 °C | -0.3 °C | 179 mm | +31 mm |
| Aug | 29.3 °C | +0.3 °C | 180 mm | -37 mm |
| Sep | 30.2 °C | +0.2 °C | 134 mm | -11 mm |
| Oct | 34.2 °C | +1.3 °C | 29 mm | -15 mm |
| Nov | 36.2 °C | +1.4 °C | 1 mm | -2 mm |
| Dec | 34.9 °C | +1.6 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
The year's extremes
What was the weather like that day?
Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.
Frequently asked questions
What is the climate of Gao?
Gao has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 27.9 °C and it receives 720 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Gao?
The hottest day measured in Gao between 1940 and 2025 was 6 April 1983, reaching 42.8 °C.
What is the coldest day in Gao?
The coldest day measured in Gao between 1940 and 2025 was 10 January 1957, at 12.6 °C.
Does it snow in Gao?
Almost never: Gao sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Gao warmed?
Yes: Gao warmed by +1.9 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Gao?
The wettest day measured in Gao between 1940 and 2025 was 17 September 2017, with 149 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Gao?
The windiest day measured in Gao between 1940 and 2025 was 27 May 1946, with winds reaching 33.3 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Gao?
The warmest month in Gao is April (32.0 °C on average); the coldest is August (25.3 °C).
How much does it rain in Gao?
Gao receives on average 720 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 109 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Gao?
Gao gets on average 10.8 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,942 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Gao?
Yes: Gao has on average 304 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Gao?
In Gao, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 47.0 °C on 25 April 2025, and the lowest was 7.9 °C on 10 January 1957.
Compare Gao with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Gao