🇹🇬Togo

Togo (56,785 km²) stretches 560 km north-south and merely 50-150 km east-west between 6°-11°N along the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east, and Burkina Faso to the north, encompassing diverse climate zones from coastal monsoon to tropical savanna.

The narrow country spans varied topography: the 56 km Atlantic coastline featuring lagoons and sandy beaches exposed to accelerating erosion; the southern coastal plain extending 100 km inland with dense tropical vegetation; the central Atakora Mountains reaching 986 m at Mont Agou near Kpalimé; the fertile Plateaux Region supporting cocoa and coffee cultivation; and the northern savanna lowlands transitioning to Sudanian climate.

The climate is predominantly Köppen Aw (tropical savanna) in the north with a single May-September rainy season, while the south exhibits Am (tropical monsoon) characteristics with two distinct rainy seasons: the main April-July period and a shorter September-October season separated by the brief August mini dry season.

Mean annual temperatures range from 27°C near the coast to 28°C in the northern savanna, with relatively modest seasonal variation. Annual precipitation varies from 800-900 mm in the northern savanna to 1,300-1,600 mm in the southwestern mountains, though the coastal zone around Lomé receives approximately 875 mm despite its proximity to the sea due to the cold Guinea Current offshore suppressing convection.

Lomé (coastal capital, elevation 20 m) averages 26°C in January and 27°C in August with 875 mm annual rainfall concentrated in the two rainy seasons, experiencing oppressive year-round humidity above 80% and recurring urban flooding during intense convective storms that overwhelm inadequate drainage infrastructure, particularly in rapidly expanding informal settlements.

Sokodé (central highlands, 350 m elevation) registers 25°C in January and 27°C in April with 1,270 mm, marking the transition between coastal and savanna climates. Kara (northern savanna, 370 m) records 25°C in January and 28°C in April with 1,100 mm during the single rainy season. Dapaong (far north, 270 m) experiences 26°C in January and 30°C in April with only 950 mm as Sudanian savanna climate dominates.

Kpalimé (southwestern mountains, 350 m) enjoys slightly cooler 24°C in January and 26°C in April with 1,550 mm supporting lush montane forests. The severe August 2007 Mono River floods inundated vast areas of southern Togo when torrential rains collapsed the Nangbéto Dam spillway, displacing over 45,000 people, destroying 12,000 homes, and causing at least 17 deaths.

The severe September 2010 Mono River floods killed 13 people, displaced 30,000, and submerged 16,000 hectares of cropland after 160 mm fell in 48 hours. Coastal erosion threatens the historic towns of Aného and Agbodrafo where shoreline retreat exceeds 5 meters annually in places, exacerbated by sand mining, Akosombo Dam sediment trapping, and sea-level rise, forcing community relocations.

The severe April 2024 West African heatwave pushed temperatures across Togo above 40°C for multiple consecutive days, closing schools, straining the electrical grid, and hospitalizing dozens with heatstroke. The annual Harmattan dry season (November-March) brings dusty northeasterly winds from the Sahara, reducing visibility to under 1 km, disrupting aviation, exacerbating respiratory illnesses, and desiccating vegetation.

Climate projections indicate 1.5-2.0°C additional warming by 2050, intensified rainfall variability with more frequent extreme events, extended dry seasons threatening rainfed agriculture, continued coastal erosion, and increased Harmattan dust concentrations.

Our archive covers 3 Togolese cities with daily ERA5 reanalysis data going back to 1940. The warmest July averages occur in Kara, around 28.5°C, while Sokodé records the coldest January nights near 19.1°C. Comparing the last decade against the 1940–1970 baseline, mean temperatures across these cities have risen by about 1.6°C.