Dakar weather in October
In October, Dakar has daytime highs averaging 30 °C, nights around 26 °C, with 3.4 wet days, and a sea temperature of 28 °C. Figures are 1991–2020 climate normals.
- 30.2°C Average high
- 25.9°C Average low
- 3.4days Wet days
- 24mm Rainfall
- 28.2°C Sea temperature
- 12h Daylight
Daily temperatures through October
How October develops
Averages for the first, middle and last part of the month, from daily 1991–2020 normals. Chance of rain is the share of years in which that calendar day recorded more than 1 mm.
| Days | Avg high | Avg low | Chance of rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 October | 30.0 °C | 26.2 °C | 15 % |
| 11–20 October | 30.1 °C | 26.0 °C | 14 % |
| 21–31 October | 30.5 °C | 25.6 °C | 4 % |
- Rain is most likely over days 1–10 of October (15 % of days) and least likely over days 21–31 (4 %).
What to expect
| Measure | Typical October | Share of the month |
|---|---|---|
| Days above 25 °C | 31 of 31 | 100 % |
| Days above 30 °C | 17 of 31 | 54 % |
| Days below 0 °C | 0 of 31 | 0 % |
| Days with more than 1 mm rain | 3.4 of 31 | 11 % |
Conditions in October
| Measure | Average |
|---|---|
| Mean temperature | 28 °C |
| Record high (1991–2020) | 35 °C |
| Record low (1991–2020) | 22 °C |
| Relative humidity | 77 % |
| Wind speed | 18 km/h |
| Cloud cover | 41 % |
Where Dakar ranks in October
| Ranking | Position | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Warmest sea temperatures in Africa in October | 11thof 50 | 28 °C |
| Best beach destinations in Africa in October | 26thof 50 | 92/100 |
October compared with the months around it
| Month | Avg high | Rainfall | Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| August | 28.8 °C | 128 mm | 72 % |
| September | 29.2 °C | 95 mm | 64 % |
| October | 30.2 °C | 24 mm | 41 % |
| November | 30.0 °C | 1 mm | 49 % |
| December | 28.0 °C | 1 mm | 49 % |
See all twelve months for Dakar
- October is the warmest month in Dakar.
- It is the 9th driest month of the year.
- It ranks 6th for least cloud cover.
- Days last about 12 hours from sunrise to sunset.
- It rains on 3.4 of 31 days — 11 % of the month.
- Nights are about 4.3 °C cooler than the middle of the day.
- The hottest October day on record since 1991 reached 35 °C, 5.2 °C above the usual daytime high.
- Beach score: 92 / 100 — see how this is calculated.
Nearby destinations in October
| Destination | Avg high | Wet days | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dakar | 30 °C | 3.4 | 28 |
| Rufisque | 31 °C | 4 | 28 |
| Thiès Nones | 32 °C | 5 | 28 |
| Thiès | 33 °C | 5 | 28 |
| Mbour | 32 °C | 4 | 28 |
| Diourbel | 34 °C | 4 | – |
| Kaolack | 33 °C | 6 | – |
| Serekunda | 30 °C | 8 | 29 |
| Banjul | 30 °C | 8 | 29 |
QuestionsOctober in Dakar, answered
How warm is Dakar in October?
Daily highs average 30 °C and nights fall to about 26 °C, a spread of 4.3 °C between afternoon and dawn. That makes October the 1st warmest month of the year here.
Does it rain much in Dakar in October?
October averages 24 mm of rain, spread over about 3 of the 31 days — 11 % of the month. Cloud cover averages 41 % of the sky.
Is the sea warm enough to swim in October?
The sea averages 28 °C off Dakar in October. Most people find water below 20 °C bracing and above 25 °C comfortable for a long swim; this figure is a monthly surface average, so a sheltered bay on a still afternoon can be warmer.
How long are the days in October?
Dakar averages 12 hours between sunrise and sunset in October. Day length is computed from latitude and date, so it is exact rather than modelled — but it says nothing about how much of that time is sunny.
Data sources and method
- ERA5 / ERA5-Land reanalysis — Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), ECMWF. Copernicus Licence
- Open-Meteo — Open-Meteo.com. CC BY 4.0
- NOAA OISST v2.1 — NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory. Public domain
- GeoNames — GeoNames.org. CC BY 4.0
- Normal period
- 1991–2020
- Dataset version
- era5-1991-2020-scores1.1
- Last processed
Measured values come from ERA5 reanalysis and are reproduced unchanged. Calculated by us: daylight hours, beach and comfort scores, monthly rankings, threshold day counts, chance of a wet day by date, ten-day averages within the month. Full formulas are on the methodology page.
Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains.