🇸🇳Senegal

Senegal (196,712 km²) occupies the westernmost extension of the African mainland at 12°–16°N, bordered by Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south, and 531 km of Atlantic coastline to the west, encompassing three distinct climatic zones that reflect the Sahel's dramatic north-south rainfall gradient.

The south, including the Casamance region, experiences a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) with annual rainfall reaching 1,800 mm on the southern border, supporting lush vegetation and mangrove forests along tidal estuaries; the central region around Dakar exhibits a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh) with approximately 400 mm concentrated in a brief June–October wet season and prolonged November–May dry season marked by the Harmattan, a desiccating northeasterly wind that blankets the capital in Saharan dust; and the northern Senegal River valley endures a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) with under 100 mm of highly variable rainfall and temperatures occasionally exceeding 45°C in the interior.

Senegal's topography is predominantly low-lying with elevations rarely exceeding 200 m, except in the southeastern Fouta Djallon foothills reaching 648 m. The Senegal River, forming the northern boundary with Mauritania, provides critical irrigation and hydropower through the Diama Dam, while Lake Retba near Dakar, famous for its pink algae-tinted waters, and the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary hosting 3 million migratory birds annually exemplify the country's diverse wetland ecosystems threatened by increasing aridity.

Dakar (14.7°N, sea level) averages 18°C in January and 30°C in July with merely 400 mm annual rainfall arriving almost entirely between June and October, experiencing maximum temperatures averaging 30°C during the wet season and 26°C in the cooler dry season, with minimum temperatures of 18°C year-round due to oceanic moderation.

Senegal faces multiple climate hazards including coastal erosion at Saint-Louis, designated by UN-Habitat in 2008 as the African city most threatened by sea-level rise, with 80% at risk of flooding by 2080 after a 2003 canal project exacerbated tidal intrusion. The Sahel droughts of 1972–73 and 1984–85 killed approximately 100,000 people across West Africa, with significant impacts on livestock-dependent populations.

The 2009 West Africa floods inundated 30,000 households across Senegal and killed 6 people as rivers overflowed during record monsoon rainfall. The 2020 monsoon floods displaced thousands and destroyed 422,000 hectares of farmland. The April 2024 heatwave brought record temperatures across the region, and recurring Harmattan dust storms reduce visibility and disrupt transportation.

Our archive covers 1 Senegalese cities with daily ERA5 reanalysis data going back to 1940. The warmest July averages occur in Dakar, around 26.8°C, while Dakar records the coldest January nights near 20.6°C. Comparing the last decade against the 1940–1970 baseline, mean temperatures across these cities have risen by about 0.4°C.