Climate in Mauritania

Mauritania is dry, hot and dusty year-round but the climate has some regional variation. Southern Mauritania has a Sahelian climate, with a short rainy season between July and September; the coastal region, including the capital city, Nouakchott, is semi-arid with oceanic trade winds; and the vast Sahara Desert dominates the northern two-thirds of the country.

The year can be roughly divided into summer, between May and October, and winter, between November and April. The average temperature in Nouadhibou, a coastal city, ranges between 55F and 79F (13C and 26C) in January, and between 66F and 90F (19C and 32C) in October. The rainy season, between July and September, is the most humid period in the south, which can be uncomfortable.

Most of Mauritania north of Atar has a Saharan climate. In this desert region daytime temperatures frequently exceed 100F (38C) for the hottest six months of the year, but the nights are cool year-round. The north receives very little rain, and the few downpours that do occur can come at any time of year. The best time to visit Mauritania is between November and March, in the winter, when daytime temperatures are comfortably warm but not too hot, and there is little chance of rain.