Climate of Ghana

Climate of Ghana

Where is the country of Ghana located? The Republic of Ghana is a country in the west of the African continent. Ghana is located on the Gulf of Guinea and borders the countries of Ivory Coast, Togo and Burkina Faso. The landscape of Ghana mainly consists of low plains, supplemented by a higher area that belongs to the Ashanti hills. This area, centrally located in the south, has an average altitude of 600-700 meters above sea level. The highest point of Ghana can be found in the far east. With a height of 885 meters, Mount Afadjato is the highest point in Ghana. An important element within the landscape of Ghana is formed by a huge reservoir, Lake Volta.

Two climate types

The climate of Ghana can be roughly divided into two climate types. Most of Ghana has a tropical climate, with a mainly tropical savanna climate (type Aw according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification). In the southwestern coastal area this changes into a tropical monsoon climate (type Am). The extreme north of Ghana, which borders Burkina Faso, mainly has characteristics of the warm steppe climate (type BSh). This is a drier and warmer climate type, where there is still too much precipitation to speak of the drier warm desert climate.

Heat

Ghana has to deal with high temperatures throughout the calendar year. For most of the country, the maximum temperature is on average around the tropical limit of 30 degrees Celsius. The northern regions are getting warmer, especially in the months of February, March and April when the mercury approaches forty degrees.

Rainy season

The northern half of Ghana has one rainy season, which starts in May and lasts until late September or (locally) early October. The south has two rainy seasons. The first rainy season runs from April to early July, the second – wetter – season falls in the months of September and October. June is the wettest month along the coast. On average, there is about 200 to 250 millimeters of rain per month.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Maximum temperature Minimum temperature Hours of sunshine per day Days of rainfall per month Water temperature
January 32℃ 23℃ 7 5 27℃
February 32℃ 24℃ 7 8 28℃
March 32℃ 24℃ 7 12 28℃
April 32℃ 24℃ 7 12 29℃
May 31℃ 24℃ 7 16 29℃
June 29℃ 23℃ 5 21 27℃
July 28℃ 23℃ 4 14 25℃
August 28℃ 22℃ 5 12 24℃
September 29℃ 22℃ 5 15 25℃
October 30℃ 23℃ 7 16 26℃
November 31℃ 23℃ 8 10 27℃
December 31℃ 23℃ 7 9 27℃

Best time to visit Ghana

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Ghana? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. Ghana is an African country located on the Gulf of Guinea. Most of Ghana has a tropical savanna climate. The southwest of the country has a tropical monsoon climate. The temperatures in Ghana are tropical everywhere, with higher temperatures in winter in the central and northern part. The maximums can then reach forty degrees Celsius. When the rainy season starts, the temperatures drop slightly. The relative humidity will then increase.

Best months

The best time to travel to Ghana is during our winter. Preferably you travel to Ghana between December and February. It is then dry, sunny and warm. Especially if you want to make a tour through Ghana, this is the best travel period, in which the average is good in almost the entire country. From February it can get very hot inland, so it’s better to forget this month if you want to take the inland with you during your holiday in Ghana.

Moesson

The monsoon is an important part of Ghana. This rainy period brings precipitation, sometimes in large amounts. In the north, the monsoon lasts from May to September. In the central part of Ghana, the rainy season starts in April and lasts until October. The south has a monsoon period from April to November on the southwest coast and from April to June plus the months of September and October on the southeast coast. In and around Accra, precipitation drops significantly in July and August, which means you can enjoy a sunny holiday here in the summer.

Ghana