Climate Ivory Coast
Côte d'Ivoire has a good dry season to visit, when the heat is not too hot and dry in the north, and humid and stifling in the south. The ideal shooting window is therefore from December to February. But it is really difficult to give an ideal season, because the climate is very contrasted from the north to the south, passing by the center and the east. Thus, the west coast, towards San Pedro, is more wet in December than on the east coast towards Abidjan and Assinie, but the ideal period remains from December to February for the coast and the center, then from August to September, because the south benefits from a short dry season at this time. The same goes for the center around Bouaké and Yamoussoukro. In the north, however, the rains intensify in August-September. Depending on your travel desires, you will have to check the seasonality of the targeted region.
Dry season and rainy season
The global climate is marked by the transition from a humid equatorial climate to a dry tropical climate. The rhythm of rainfall is regulated by the struggle between two air masses.
The African monsoon
. A humid air mass of maritime origin, which is a cool, humid trade wind from the southern hemisphere, blowing from the southwest, bringing rainfall from April to October. On the coastal part, rains are also abundant in March and November, and even in December in the west, in the San Pedro region.The harmattan.
A dry continental air mass, which is a warm, dry trade wind from the northern hemisphere, blowing from the northeast, guaranteeing the dry season.Three distinct climatic zones
The climate varies considerably between the coast in the south around Abidjan and San Pedro, the centre of the country around Yamoussoukro, Bouaké and Man, and the north of the country around Korhogo
The sub-equatorial zone, along the coastal region, is characterized by low temperature ranges (25-30°C), high humidity (80-90%), and abundant rainfall averaging 1 766 mm/year in Abidjan, and 2 129 mm/year in San Pedro. This zone has two dry seasons: a large, hot one, interspersed with a few rains from December to April, and a small one in August and September, less marked in the west. There are two rainy seasons: from May to July for the large one, and from October to November for the small one
The humid tropical zone covers the forested area, as well as the south of the Savannah region. Temperatures are higher than in the coastal zone, ranging from 14 to 33°C, with a hygrometry of 60 to 70% and annual rainfall ranging from 905 mm in Bouaké or Yamoussoukro, to 1 897 mm in Man. A large rainy season from June to October and a small one from March to May alternate with a large and small dry season from November to March and July to August, respectively.
The so-called Sudanese zone, which extends over the southern part of the Savannah region around Korhogo, has relatively high daily and annual temperature ranges (around 20 °C), a humidity significantly lower than in the south of the country (40 to 50 %), and is characterized by the intermittent presence of a cool, dry wind, the harmattan, between December and February. This climate zone has only two seasons: a dry season from November to June, with some rain in April, and a rainy season from July to October. Annual rainfall averages 1 203 mm in Korhogo and 1 491 mm in Odienné.
The seasonal calendar
December - January. The weather is mild all year round in Ivory Coast, in winter the temperatures do not go down. At this time, it is between 30°C on the coast and 34°C in the interior of the country in the north. Humidity is very high on the coast due to showers from Assainie to Tabou, (especially in the west). The sea is then very warm. On the contrary, humidity is very low in the interior of the country (centre and north), it does not rain, but it can be a little cool when the harmattan, the wind coming from the desert loaded with sand and dust, blows, veiling the sky and creating a characteristic mist in the region. Still indoors, it can be cold at night, and the temperature differences between day and night can be very large, between 10°C at night and 38°C during the day!
February - March. The average temperature is 35 °C in the north and centre of the country, and the thermometer can be as high as 45 °C in the northernmost Sudanese savannah regions! The air is very dry in the north and centre, no rain. On the coast, it is cooler and temperatures are more stable (in Abidjan and San Pedro the average is 31 °C). But they are felt harder in the south due to the humidity of the air being totally saturated, creating stifling heat. March has some rain on the coast towards Abidjan and Assinie, but remains quite dry on the San Pedro side.
April - May. Rains arrive on the coast in the form of heavy showers. This is the famous African monsoon. Temperatures are quite stable, around 32 °C, and the showers alternate with very sunny weather. Towards San Pedro, April has reasonable rains (140 mm on average), but in May they fly off (400 mm), while Abidjan is less wet in May (235 mm). In the centre and in the north, the rains come to refresh the air (140 mm on average), which begins to be more breathable, especially in May in the north.
June - July. On the coast, the rains reach their peak in June, especially in the west (almost 500 mm on average), where they are more pronounced than in Abidjan (400 mm). In July, the rains slow down significantly (to 200 mm and 150 mm respectively). The sky is then very cloudy and not very sunny. Similarly in the centre, June is the wettest (165 mm) compared to July (100 mm). On the other hand, in the north it is the opposite, the showers alternate with moments of clear sunshine, in June, to force in July. It therefore rains more in July (250 mm) compared to June (200 mm)
August - September. The coast and the centre have an interesting little dry season which is a perfect interlude for a sunny stay not too wet and not too hot. Indeed, in August, barely 50 mm of rain in Abidjan, against 100 mm in Yamoussoukro and 150 mm in San Pedro, the west remaining more humid. In September, showers are more present, but relative to the centre and east (90 mm in Abidjan, 150 mm in Yamoussoukro). On the other hand, the west coast is definitely wetter than the north (265 mm in San Pedro against 200 mm in Korhogo)
October - November. The rains return to the coast, especially in the east, without being of the same intensity as in June - July. They remain pleasant in Abidjan (between 100 and 150 mm), a little more marked in the east towards San Pedro (between 175 and 200 mm). The sky remains very cloudy. Conversely, in the centre and the north, the rains fall sharply, the climate is again drier, the temperatures are bearable and the sun is stronger. In Yamoussoukro, it rains very little, just like in Korhogo (on average 90 mm in October, 25 mm in November).
