Makeni climate — normals and trends
Makeni (Sierra Leone) has a tropical monsoon climate (Am) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 26.1 °C and it receives 2,397 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 March (28.8 °C on average) and the coldest is August (24.0 °C). Rainfall peaks in August.
Makeni averages 0 frost days, 218 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 215 rainy days per year.
Makeni has warmed by +1.5 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.17 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 40.6 °C (on 21 February 2016) and the coldest 14.3 °C (on 11 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
MakeniNorthern Province
- coords
- 8.89°, -12.04°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
26.1°C
Average daily high
31.2°C
Average daily low
22.5°C
Annual rainfall
2,397mm
Sunshine / day
9.2h
Mean relative humidity
78%
Average peak wind
10.6km/h
Seasonal range
4.8°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
218 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
215 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
35.7 °C
Average feels-like low
26.5 °C
Average peak gust
25.7 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
350 d/yr
Solar radiation
17.2 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.5 °C
since 1940
+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.74 · 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
40.6 °C
21 February 2016
Coldest day
14.3 °C
11 January 1957
Wettest day
181 mm
16 August 2012
Windiest day
23.9 km/h
21 February 1943
Strongest gust
60.1 km/h
9 June 2007
Hottest feels-like
45.4 °C
27 April 2024
Coldest feels-like
12.5 °C
9 January 1957
Sunniest day
12.1 h
11 June 2006
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 | 35.7 °C | +2.0 °C | 2 mm | -7 mm |
| Feb | 37.5 °C | +2.2 °C | 0 mm | -7 mm |
| Mar | 37.4 °C | +1.8 °C | 16 mm | -9 mm |
| Apr | 35.7 °C | +1.4 °C | 56 mm | -11 mm |
| May | 32.1 °C | +0.9 °C | 113 mm | -90 mm |
| Jun | 30.7 °C | +1.3 °C | 266 mm | -54 mm |
| Jul | 28.1 °C | +0.3 °C | 587 mm | +172 mm |
| Aug | 27.6 °C | +0.2 °C | 619 mm | +155 mm |
| Sep | 28.6 °C | +0.2 °C | 996 mm | +570 mm |
| Oct | 30.3 °C | +0.8 °C | 316 mm | -11 mm |
| Nov | 30.4 °C | +0.2 °C | 125 mm | +12 mm |
| Dec | 31.8 °C | +0.1 °C | 14 mm | -5 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 Makeni?
Makeni has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 26.1 °C and it receives 2,397 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Makeni?
The hottest day measured in Makeni between 1940 and 2025 was 21 February 2016, reaching 40.6 °C.
What is the coldest day in Makeni?
The coldest day measured in Makeni between 1940 and 2025 was 11 January 1957, at 14.3 °C.
Does it snow in Makeni?
Almost never: Makeni sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Makeni warmed?
Yes: Makeni warmed by +1.5 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Makeni?
The wettest day measured in Makeni between 1940 and 2025 was 16 August 2012, with 181 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Makeni?
The windiest day measured in Makeni between 1940 and 2025 was 21 February 1943, with winds reaching 23.9 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Makeni?
The warmest month in Makeni is March (28.8 °C on average); the coldest is August (24.0 °C).
How much does it rain in Makeni?
Makeni receives on average 2,397 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 215 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Makeni?
Makeni gets on average 9.2 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,358 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Makeni?
Yes: Makeni has on average 350 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Makeni?
In Makeni, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 45.4 °C on 27 April 2024, and the lowest was 12.5 °C on 9 January 1957.
Compare Makeni with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Makeni