Cotonou
Elevation 3 m6.37° N, 2.42° E
When to go?
Mean 28 °C, 3 rain days in the month (15 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the seawater at 28 °C
Against
- Hothighs of 30 °C
Mean 29 °C, 4 rain days in the month (24 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the seawater at 28 °C
Against
- Hothighs of 31 °C
Mean 29 °C, 7 rain days in the month (64 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the seawater at 29 °C
Against
- Hothighs of 31 °C
Mean 29 °C, 10 rain days in the month (109 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the seawater at 29 °C
Against
- Hothighs of 31 °C
Mean 28 °C, 15 rain days in the month (190 mm).
Against
- Hothighs of 31 °C
- Often rainyrain on 5 days in 10
Mean 27 °C, 17 rain days in the month (216 mm).
Against
- Hothighs of 29 °C
- Often rainyrain on 6 days in 10
Mean 26 °C, 14 rain days in the month (98 mm).
Against
- Hothighs of 28 °C
Mean 26 °C, 11 rain days in the month (80 mm).
Against
- Hothighs of 27 °C
Mean 26 °C, 14 rain days in the month (128 mm).
Against
- Hothighs of 28 °C
Mean 27 °C, 14 rain days in the month (126 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the seawater at 28 °C
Against
- Hothighs of 29 °C
Mean 28 °C, 9 rain days in the month (46 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the seawater at 29 °C
Against
- Hothighs of 30 °C
Mean 28 °C, 4 rain days in the month (21 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the seawater at 29 °C
Against
- Hothighs of 31 °C
No ideal month: the best month is August, the least hot. Ideal for the sea: October–April. Avoid September–July (hot, at times often rainy).
What is the climate like?
Temperature and rain
Monthly min and max temperature (°C)
Monthly min and max temperature (°C)
How much it rains
Rain days and how much water
Rain days and how much water
Bars: length = rain days, thickness = mm on a rain day, area = the month's rain. 3 mm a day7 mm a day15 mm a day
Colour = the month's rain: 103060100160250400mm
Daylight hours
Daylight and sky: sunrise, sunset and cloud cover
daylight under a clear sky (average share)daylight under cloud
daylight under a clear sky (average share)daylight under cloud
Times on the 15th of each month, in local time: daylight saving where and when it applies, standard time in the other months.
Sea temperature: Bight of Benin
Monthly mean sea temperature: Bight of Benin (°C)
Monthly mean sea temperature: Bight of Benin (°C)
Effect of climate change
Today's climate (1996–2025) compared with 1961–1990:
In short
Year by year
Temperature of each year
Against 1961–1990 the mean temperature of today (1996–2025) has changed by +0.5 °C; in the last ten years by +0.8 °C. Warmest year: 2024 (+1.3 °C), coldest: 1976 (−0.6 °C).
December and November warmed the most (+0.8 and +0.7 °C), August the least (+0.3 °C).
Warming stripes: after an idea by Ed Hawkins (University of Reading), showyourstripes.info, CC BY 4.0.
Rain of each year (% against 1961–1990)
more rain than in 1961–1990less rain
Rain in a year: −3 % every ten years.
The sea, then and now
+0.2 °Cthe sea today, compared with 1961–1990