Gao climate — normals and trends
Gao (Mali) has a hot desert climate (BWh) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 29.9 °C and it receives 153 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 May (35.2 °C on average) and the coldest is January (22.5 °C). Rainfall peaks in August.
Gao averages 0 frost days, 332 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 33 rainy days per year.
Gao has warmed by +3.0 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.35 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 47.5 °C (on 24 June 2010) and the coldest 5.9 °C (on 9 January 1942).
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
GaoGao
- coords
- 16.27°, -0.04°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
29.9°C
Average daily high
36.6°C
Average daily low
22.9°C
Annual rainfall
153mm
Sunshine / day
11.2h
Mean relative humidity
28%
Average peak wind
21.8km/h
Seasonal range
12.7°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
332 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
33 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
35.5 °C
Average feels-like low
20.9 °C
Average peak gust
36.9 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
254 d/yr
Solar radiation
23.2 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+3.0 °C
since 1940
+0.4 °C per decade · r² = 0.76 · 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
47.5 °C
24 June 2010
Coldest day
5.9 °C
9 January 1942
Wettest day
87 mm
4 August 1954
Windiest day
49.4 km/h
20 March 1945
Strongest gust
83.9 km/h
3 June 1964
Hottest feels-like
46.8 °C
13 May 2010
Coldest feels-like
1.0 °C
9 January 1942
Sunniest day
12.1 h
30 June 1940
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 | 31.6 °C | +1.5 °C | 0 mm | -0 mm |
| Feb | 34.8 °C | +1.6 °C | 0 mm | -0 mm |
| Mar | 41.4 °C | +4.5 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
| Apr | 42.8 °C | +2.6 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
| May | 43.6 °C | +1.9 °C | 0 mm | -3 mm |
| Jun | 41.4 °C | +0.6 °C | 4 mm | -7 mm |
| Jul | 37.8 °C | 0.0 °C | 37 mm | -5 mm |
| Aug | 37.1 °C | +1.3 °C | 25 mm | -43 mm |
| Sep | 38.5 °C | +0.6 °C | 6 mm | -17 mm |
| Oct | 40.0 °C | +1.4 °C | 2 mm | -1 mm |
| Nov | 37.0 °C | +1.6 °C | 0 mm | 0 mm |
| Dec | 31.9 °C | +0.8 °C | 0 mm | +0 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 desert climate (Köppen BWh). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 29.9 °C and it receives 153 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 24 June 2010, reaching 47.5 °C.
What is the coldest day in Gao?
The coldest day measured in Gao between 1940 and 2025 was 9 January 1942, at 5.9 °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 +3.0 °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 4 August 1954, with 87 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Gao?
The windiest day measured in Gao between 1940 and 2025 was 20 March 1945, with winds reaching 49.4 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Gao?
The warmest month in Gao is May (35.2 °C on average); the coldest is January (22.5 °C).
How much does it rain in Gao?
Gao receives on average 153 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 33 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Gao?
Gao gets on average 11.2 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 4,088 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Gao?
Yes: Gao has on average 254 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 46.8 °C on 13 May 2010, and the lowest was 1.0 °C on 9 January 1942.
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