Dakar, Senegal
Dakar
Dakar is a capital city in Senegal, close to the sea. It has a population of about 1,438,725 (2021). The climate is classified as hot semi-arid (Köppen BSh), with little rain, large day–night swings and strong sunshine.
Now31°C
Best timeJan–Feb · May
Population1.44M
Local time14:38
14.69° N, 17.44° WElevation 12 mUTC+0 · Greenwich Mean Time
October: high / low28° / 27°
Rain this month21mm
Sea this month28°
Best timeJan–Feb · May
Best: Jan–Feb · May. Warmth, sunshine and dry days, month by month.
Dakar at a glance
Sunrise · sunset07:03 · 18:4711 h 44 min of daylightThe moon tonightWaxing gibbous85% · Moonrise 16:12Next holiday1 NovemberAll Saints' DayNext eclipse6 Feb 2027Annular solar eclipse
Best time to visitJan–Feb · May
The months with the highest weather score
Warmest month28°C
Average high in October
Coolest month20°C
Average low in February
Wettest monthSeptember
136 mm of rain
Driest monthMarch
0 mm of rain
Warmest sea28°C
September
Monuments nearby10+
4 of them World Heritage
How Dakar has grown
People living in the built-up area (277 km² today), every five years since 1975; 2030 is the projection.
+318%950k in 1975 → 3.97M in 2025Weather in Dakar
Now and the next ten days. The 14 and 30-day outlooks are one click away.
31°C
Today hour by hourCloudy · wind 19 km/h · humidity 64%
Today22 Oct31°28°
Fri23 Oct31°29°
Sat24 Oct31°29°
Sun25 Oct32°27°
Mon26 Oct31°28°
Tue27 Oct31°28°
Wed28 Oct33°28°
Thu29 Oct32°28°
Fri30 Oct31°27°
Sat31 Oct30°26°
When to go to Dakar
Each month's weather score (warmth, sun, dry days) with its temperatures and rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 97 | 96 | 95 | 95 | 98 | 80 | 56 | 49 | 49 | 54 | 85 | 94 |
| High | 23° | 22° | 22° | 22° | 23° | 26° | 27° | 28° | 28° | 28° | 28° | 25° |
| Low | 20° | 20° | 20° | 21° | 22° | 24° | 26° | 26° | 27° | 27° | 25° | 23° |
| Rain (mm) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 57 | 171 | 136 | 21 | 0 | 1 |
| Wet days | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 25 | 26 | 14 | 1 | 1 |
| Sea | 21° | 20° | 19° | 20° | 22° | 25° | 27° | 28° | 28° | 28° | 27° | 24° |
What's on in Dakar
Concerts, football matches, the public holidays ahead and the town's festivals through the year.
Monuments and museums in Dakar
2.3 km
Bel-Air CemeteryBuilt 1832
2.3 km
Dakar station1.7 km
Dakar Grand MosqueBuilt 1964
UNESCO5.8 km
House of SlavesBuilt 1776
3.2 km
Our Lady of Victories Cathedral, DakarBuilt 1936
5.6 km
Îles des Madeleines National ParkBuilt 1976
Museum2 km
Museum of Black CivilizationsBuilt 2011
Museum3.4 km
IFAN Museum of African ArtsBuilt 1938More museums: Raw Material Company
Outdoors around Dakar
Hiking routes from the town, and what there is to do within 15 km: huts, viewpoints, climbing, camping, ski areas and dive sites.
Rue TorteViewpoints
0.1 kmOuakamSurf spots
1.9 kmSkipper campCamp sites
2.4 kmSNE des Mamelles secteur des chèvresClimbing
2.8 kmMagic LandTheme parks
2.9 kmSNE des Mamelles secteur baignadeClimbing
2.9 kmOcéaniumDive site
3.9 kmNature around Dakar
Wildlife in October
The birds and mammals of Senegal seen most this month, compared with the rest of their year.
The sky over Dakar
Earthquakes around Dakar
The last 30 days within 300 km, and the record since 1950.
Universities and research institutes
Cheikh Anta Diop UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1957
École Nationale d'AdministrationUniversity or college · founded 1960
National Archives of SenegalUniversity or college · founded 1962
Ecole Supérieure d’Economie AppliquéeUniversity or college · founded 1963
École Inter-États des Sciences et Médecine Vétérinaires de DakarUniversity or college · founded 1968
Institut Privé de Gestion Institut Supérieur de Technologie IndustrielleUniversity or college · founded 1981
École Supérieure Multinationale des TélécommunicationsUniversity or college · founded 1981
International School of DakarUniversity or college · founded 1983
Groupe AFIUniversity or college · founded 1993
Groupe École Supérieure de Commerce de DakarUniversity or college · founded 1993
Université du SahelUniversity or college · founded 1998
St. Christopher Iba Mar Diop College of MedicineUniversity or college · founded 2000
Université Amadou Hampaté BaUniversity or college · founded 2006
Université Euro-AfriqueUniversity or college · founded 2009
Université du Sine Saloum El-Hâdj Ibrahima NIASSUniversity or college · founded 2013
Brighton International UniversityUniversity or college
Centre Africain d'Études Supérieures en GestionUniversity or college
Institut International des Sciences et de TechnologieUniversity or college
Université Dakar-BourguibaUniversity or college
Université numérique Cheikh Hamidou KANEUniversity or college
Institut de Technologie AlimentaireResearch institute · founded 1963
Institut Sénégalais de Recherches AgricolesResearch institute · founded 1974
West African Research CenterResearch institute · founded 1993
Center for Research on Political EconomyResearch institute · founded 2009
Laboratoire de Recherche International Environnement, Santé & SociétésResearch institute · founded 2021
LMI Adaptation des Plantes et Microorganismes Associés aux Stress EnvironnementauxResearch institute
Dakar from above
Around Dakar33 places to see, do and reach nearby
Îles des Madeleines National ParkNature5.6 kmGoréeNature5.8 kmMagdalen IslandsNature5.3 kmNgorNature10 kmVoile d'Or BeachNature2.6 kmPlage de NgorNature9.6 kmBanc de Bel-AirNature4.8 kmDeux MamellesMountain7.1 kmOcéaniumDive site3.9 kmBel-Air CemeteryMonument2.3 kmDakar stationMonument2.3 kmDakar Grand MosqueMonument1.7 kmHouse of SlavesMonument5.8 kmOur Lady of Victories Cathedral, DakarMonument3.2 kmÎles des Madeleines National ParkMonument5.6 kmHistorical Museum of SenegalMonument5.4 kmGoréeMonument5.8 kmMuseum of Black CivilizationsMuseum2.0 kmIFAN Museum of African ArtsMuseum3.4 kmMusée International sur la Biographie du Prophète (PSL) et de la Civilisation IslamiqueMuseum2.0 kmMusée Senghor FondationMuseum3.0 kmMusée des Forces Armées SenegalaiseMuseum3.0 kmColobaneStation0.8 kmDakarStation2.3 kmGare de DakarStation2.3 kmDakarFerry port2.6 kmCasamance;DakarFerry port2.6 kmRufisquePlace19 kmGoréePlace5.6 kmGuédiawayePlace10 kmPikinePlace9.8 kmBargnyPlace23 kmTivaouane PeulPlace22 km
Getting to Dakar
Blaise Diagne International AirportDSS
40 kmBanjul International AirportBJL
173 kmColobaneRailway station
0.8 kmDakarRailway station
2.3 kmGare de DakarRailway station
2.3 kmDakarGoree-Dakar Ferry
2.6 kmCasamance;DakarFerry port
2.6 kmPlaces near Dakar
Places with a climate like Dakar
Matched month by month on temperature, rain and sunshine.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Dakar?
Based on 30-year climate normals, January, February and May offer the best balance of comfortable temperatures, low rainfall and sunshine in Dakar.
What is the hottest month in Dakar?
October is the warmest month, with average highs of 28°C and lows of 27°C.
What is the coldest month in Dakar?
February is the coldest month, with average highs of 22°C and lows of 20°C.
What is the rainiest month in Dakar?
September is the wettest month with about 136 mm of precipitation on 26 wet days.
How warm is the sea near Dakar?
The sea is warmest in September at about 28°C and coolest in March at about 19°C.