Senegal in September

Heavy rain and heat; Casamance and Sine-Saloum lodges shut.

September is rated avoid. These months rate higher:

• NovemberGreatDry season starts; lodges reopen; birds arrive in the Saloum and Djoudj.
• DecemberGreatPeak: pleasant heat, Christmas on the Petite Côte; book Saint-Louis and delta lodges early.
• JanuaryGreatDry, breezy, 25 °C on the coast; the Dakar Rally legacy crowd and winter-sun Europeans fill Saly.
• FebruaryGreatStill dry and cool; Harmattan haze some days inland; good birding at Djoudj.

• Dakar and the Atlantic coast · Dakar, Saint-Louis, Petite Côterainy

  Trade winds keep the coast 5–8 °C (9–14 °F) cooler than inland; January–March evenings can feel cool, and the sea is cold until May.Trade winds keep the coast 9–14 °F (5–8 °C) cooler than inland; January–March evenings can feel cool, and the sea is cold until May.

• Sine-Saloum and the Gambia fringe · Toubacouta, Palmarin, Kaolackrainy

  Harmattan dust some weeks Jan–Mar; the delta is at its best for birds Nov–Apr.

• Casamance · Ziguinchor, Cap Skirring, Oussouyestorm or typhoon risk

  Senegal's wettest region: up to 1,500 mm a year, most of it Jul–Sep; many beach hotels close in the rains.

• Inland north and east · Touba, Tambacounda, Niokolo-Koba, Kédougourainy

  40 °C (104 °F)+ in April–May; Niokolo-Koba tracks close in the rains (roughly Jul–Oct).104 °F (40 °C)+ in April–May; Niokolo-Koba tracks close in the rains (roughly Jul–Oct).

• Cap Vert-Thies: Dakar peninsula · Cap-Vert coastrainy

  Cooler and breezier than inland; the rainy season runs roughly July to October.

• Cap Vert-Thies: Thies and Petite Côte · Inland and coastal beltrainy

  Hotter inland; November to May is dry and the comfortable window.

• Casamance: Casamance coast and river · Cap Skirring, Kafountine, Ziguinchorrainy

  Dry November to May; rain June to October, heaviest July–September. Humidity is high year-round; coastal breezes keep the beach strip cooler than inland Ziguinchor.

• Central Senegal: Sine-Saloum delta and Kaolack · Central Senegalrainy

  Dry season November to May; rainy season roughly June to October, with the heaviest rain July to September. Heat peaks before the rains.

• Northern Senegal: Saint-Louis and the coast · Atlantic coast and river mouthrainy

  Dry season November to May; the coast stays cooler than inland. Rain June–September, heaviest August. Harmattan haze and cooler nights December–February.

• Northern Senegal: Djoudj and the river valley · Inland, north-east of Saint-Louisrainy

  Best birding November to March when Palearctic migrants are in. Inland heat builds March–May; 40 °C (104 °F)+ afternoons are normal.Best birding November to March when Palearctic migrants are in. Inland heat builds March–May; 104 °F (40 °C)+ afternoons are normal.

• Tambacounda Region: Tambacounda basin · Tambacounda city and the N1 corridorrainy

  Hot, dry savanna. March–May is the hottest stretch, often well above 35 °C (95 °F); the rains run roughly June–September.Hot, dry savanna. March–May is the hottest stretch, often well above 95 °F (35 °C); the rains run roughly June–September.

• Tambacounda Region: Kédougou and the south-east hills · Kédougou, Salémata, Bassari countryrainy

  Slightly cooler at altitude. Waterfalls are at their best late in the rains, but tracks are worst then; November–February is the cleanest window.

• Dakar32 °C (90 °F) / 26 °C (79 °F), 10 rain days90 °F (32 °C) / 79 °F (26 °C), 10 rain days
• Bakel36 °C (97 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F), 6 rain days97 °F (36 °C) / 77 °F (25 °C), 6 rain days
• Cap Skirring31 °C (88 °F) / 23 °C (73 °F), 14 rain days88 °F (31 °C) / 73 °F (23 °C), 14 rain days
• Foundiougne34 °C (93 °F) / 24 °C (75 °F), 12 rain days93 °F (34 °C) / 75 °F (24 °C), 12 rain days
• Joal-Fadiouth33 °C (91 °F) / 24 °C (75 °F), 6 rain days91 °F (33 °C) / 75 °F (24 °C), 6 rain days
• Kafountine31 °C (88 °F) / 24 °C (75 °F), 15 rain days88 °F (31 °C) / 75 °F (24 °C), 15 rain days
• Kédougou34 °C (93 °F) / 26 °C (79 °F), 4 rain days93 °F (34 °C) / 79 °F (26 °C), 4 rain days
• Mar Lodj33 °C (91 °F) / 26 °C (79 °F), 10 rain days91 °F (33 °C) / 79 °F (26 °C), 10 rain days
• Mboro33 °C (91 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F), 10 rain days91 °F (33 °C) / 77 °F (25 °C), 10 rain days
• Mbour34 °C (93 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F), 7 rain days93 °F (34 °C) / 77 °F (25 °C), 7 rain days
• Palmarin31 °C (88 °F) / 24 °C (75 °F), 12 rain days88 °F (31 °C) / 75 °F (24 °C), 12 rain days
• Podor35 °C (95 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F), 6 rain days95 °F (35 °C) / 77 °F (25 °C), 6 rain days
• Popenguine32 °C (90 °F) / 24 °C (75 °F), 8 rain days90 °F (32 °C) / 75 °F (24 °C), 8 rain days
• Saint-Louis33 °C (91 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F), 6 rain days91 °F (33 °C) / 77 °F (25 °C), 6 rain days
• Salemata33 °C (91 °F) / 22 °C (72 °F), 14 rain days91 °F (33 °C) / 72 °F (22 °C), 14 rain days
• Sokone32 °C (90 °F) / 23 °C (73 °F), 12 rain days90 °F (32 °C) / 73 °F (23 °C), 12 rain days
• Tambacounda33 °C (91 °F) / 23 °C (73 °F), 10 rain days91 °F (33 °C) / 73 °F (23 °C), 10 rain days
• Thies32 °C (90 °F) / 24 °C (75 °F), 10 rain days90 °F (32 °C) / 75 °F (24 °C), 10 rain days
• Touba31 °C (88 °F) / 23 °C (73 °F), 259 rain days88 °F (31 °C) / 73 °F (23 °C), 259 rain days
• Toubakouta32 °C (90 °F) / 23 °C (73 °F), 10 rain days90 °F (32 °C) / 73 °F (23 °C), 10 rain days
• Ziguinchor35 °C (95 °F) / 28 °C (82 °F), 9 rain days95 °F (35 °C) / 82 °F (28 °C), 9 rain days

Crowds · Senegal

Low

Prices · Senegal

Low

Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Senegal, side by side.

• A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast
• A spare day in the plan: storms can cancel flights and ferries

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Better another month

• Casamance

  Senegal's wettest region: up to 1,500 mm a year, most of it Jul–Sep; many beach hotels close in the rains.

• Dakar

  Peak rains; floods.