Dakar vs Nouakchott: which is sunnier?
🇸🇳 Senegal vs 🇲🇷 Mauritania · 421 km apart · long-term climate normals (NASA POWER, 2001–2020)
Nouakchott is the sunnier overall: about 3,619 hours of sunshine a year to Dakar's 3,053. Nouakchott has the higher Sunshine Score in 12 of 12 months — a clean sweep.
Scores are the 0–100 Sunshine Score — sunshine, daytime warmth and dryness in one number, per month.
At a glance
| Dakar | Nouakchott | |
|---|---|---|
| Sunshine hours / year | 3,053 | 3,619 |
| Sunniest month | February (97/100) | January (100/100) |
| Nov–Feb average score | 97/100 | 100/100 |
| Jun–Aug average score | 78/100 | 97/100 |
| Rain / year | 558 mm | 106 mm |
| Warmest sea | 30°C / 86°F | 29°C / 84°F |
| Peak midday UV | 12 (extreme) | 11 (extreme) |
Dakar vs Nouakchott month by month
| Month | Sunshine Score | Day high °C | Rain mm | Sea °C | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakar | Nouakchott | Dakar | Nouakchott | Dakar | Nouakchott | Dakar | Nouakchott | |
| January | 96 | 100 | 30° | 23° | 5 | 2 | 23° | 20° |
| February | 97 | 100 | 31° | 24° | 3 | 2 | 22° | 21° |
| March | 87 | 99 | 33° | 25° | 5 | 7 | 20° | 21° |
| April | 87 | 100 | 33° | 25° | 4 | 1 | 21° | 22° |
| May | 87 | 100 | 33° | 26° | 1 | 0 | 24° | 23° |
| June | 84 | 100 | 33° | 28° | 21 | 1 | 27° | 24° |
| July | 81 | 98 | 31° | 28° | 90 | 13 | 29° | 26° |
| August | 70 | 94 | 30° | 29° | 202 | 32 | 30° | 29° |
| September | 70 | 94 | 30° | 31° | 171 | 32 | 29° | 28° |
| October | 88 | 97 | 32° | 30° | 49 | 14 | 30° | 28° |
| November | 96 | 100 | 32° | 27° | 4 | 2 | 28° | 23° |
| December | 97 | 100 | 31° | 25° | 3 | 0 | 25° | 21° |
The sunnier month by month: Jan Nouakchott · Feb Nouakchott · Mar Nouakchott · Apr Nouakchott · May Nouakchott · Jun Nouakchott · Jul Nouakchott · Aug Nouakchott · Sep Nouakchott · Oct Nouakchott · Nov Nouakchott · Dec Nouakchott.
When to pick which
- November–February: Nouakchott (average score 100/100 vs 97). Dakar is the warmer, around 31°C daytime highs vs 25°C. See the winter sun ranking.
- March–May: Nouakchott (average score 100/100 vs 87). Dakar is the warmer, around 33°C daytime highs vs 25°C.
- June–August: Nouakchott (average score 97/100 vs 78). Dakar is the warmer, around 31°C daytime highs vs 28°C.
- September–October: Nouakchott (average score 96/100 vs 79). Daytime highs are similar (31°C vs 31°C).
Sea temperature
Dakar's sea gets warmer: 30°C / 86°F at its peak vs 29°C. Swimmable water (21°C+): Dakar about 11 months a year, Nouakchott about 11 months a year. Month-by-month sea temperatures are in the table above.
Full month-by-month guides: Dakar weather by month · Nouakchott weather by month.
More comparisons: Dakar vs Conakry · Dakar vs Serekunda · Dakar vs Rabil · Nouakchott vs Serekunda · Nouakchott vs Dakhla · all head-to-heads