🇸🇳Senegal

Senegal (196,712 km²) occupies the westernmost extension of the African mainland at 12°–17°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 carries Saharan dust; and the northern Senegal River valley endures a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) with only about 250 mm of highly variable rainfall and temperatures occasionally exceeding 45°C in the interior.

Senegal's topography is predominantly low-lying, rising only in the southeastern foothills to 648 m. The Senegal River, forming the northern boundary with Mauritania, provides critical irrigation water through the Diama Dam, which blocks saltwater intrusion, 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, near sea level) has 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 from about 18°C in the dry season to 25°C in the wet season 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 canal project exacerbated flooding. The Sahel droughts from the late 1960s to the 1980s killed approximately 100,000 people across West Africa, with significant impacts on livestock-dependent populations.

The 2009 West Africa floods affected 30,000 households across Senegal and killed 6 people after heavy rainy-season downpours. The 2020 monsoon floods displaced thousands. The April 2024 heatwave brought extreme temperatures across the region, and recurring Harmattan dust storms reduce visibility and disrupt transportation.

Our archive covers 19 Senegalese cities with daily ERA5 reanalysis data going back to 1940. The hottest July afternoons are in Mbaké, with average highs around 33.7°C, while Tivaouane has the coldest January nights, with average lows near 16.8°C. Comparing the last decade against the 1940–1970 baseline, mean temperatures across these cities have risen by about 1°C.