Climate of Ghana

Ghana map of Köppen climate classification.

The climate of Ghana is tropical. The eastern coastal belt is warm and comparatively dry, the south-west corner of Ghana is hot and humid, and the north of Ghana is hot and dry.[1] Ghana is located on the Gulf of Guinea, only a few degrees north of the Equator, giving it a warm climate.[2]

Climatology

The climate of Ghana is tropical and there are two main seasons: the wet and the dry seasons.[3] North Ghana experiences its rainy season from March to November while South Ghana experiences its rainy season from April to mid-November.[3] The tropical climate of Ghana is relatively mild for its latitude.[3] The harmattan, a dry desert wind, blows in north-east Ghana from December to March, lowering the humidity and causing hot days and cool nights in northern part of Ghana.[3] Average temperatures range from 21°C to 28°C (70 to 82°F) with a relative humidity between 77 percent and 85 percent.[4] In the northern part of Ghana, there are two rainy seasons: April through June and September through November.[4] Squalls occur in the northern part of Ghana during March and April, followed by occasional rain until August and September, when the rainfall reaches its peak.[4] Rainfall ranges from 78 to 216 centimeters (31 to 85 inches) a year.[4]

Climate data for Ghana
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 31
(88)
32
(90)
32
(90)
32
(90)
32
(90)
29
(84)
27
(81)
27
(81)
29
(84)
30
(86)
31
(88)
31
(88)
32
(90)
Average high °C (°F) 27.5
(81.5)
27.5
(81.5)
28
(82)
28
(82)
27
(81)
26
(79)
25
(77)
24
(75)
26
(79)
26
(79)
27
(81)
27
(81)
28
(82)
Average low °C (°F) 23
(73)
23
(73)
24
(75)
24
(75)
23
(73)
23
(73)
22
(72)
21
(70)
22
(72)
22
(72)
23
(73)
23
(73)
21
(70)
Record low °C (°F) 15
(59)
17
(63)
20
(68)
19
(66)
21
(70)
20
(68)
19
(66)
18
(64)
20
(68)
19
(66)
21
(70)
17
(63)
15
(59)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 16
(0.63)
37
(1.46)
73
(2.87)
82
(3.23)
145
(5.71)
193
(7.6)
49
(1.93)
16
(0.63)
40
(1.57)
80
(3.15)
38
(1.5)
18
(0.71)
787
(30.99)
Average rainy days 2 2 5 7 11 14 7 6 8 9 4 2 77
Average relative humidity (%) 79 77 77 80 82 85 85 83 82 83 80 79 85
Mean monthly sunshine hours 214 204 223 213 211 144 142 155 171 220 240 235 2,372
Source: Climatemps.com[4]

References

  1. "Ghana high plains". photius.com. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  2. "Ghana: Geography Physical". photius.com. Retrieved 24 June 2013., "Ghana: Location and Size". photius.com. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "UNDP Climate Change Country Profile: Ghana". ncsp.undp.org. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ghana – Weather Averages". Retrieved 1 June 2013.
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