Cotonou weather by month & the best time to visit
Benin · coastal city break · tropical — wet & dry seasons climate
The best time to visit Cotonou is January — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 86/100), with December and February close behind. Cotonou averages about 1,921 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 30°C / 86°F and roughly 20 mm of rain in January.
When is the best time to visit Cotonou?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Cotonou is January, then December and February. The dullest month is May (62/100, 174 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Cotonou?
Cotonou gets a moderate 1,921 hours of sunshine a year. January (86/100) is noticeably better than May (62). It is the only destination Sunshine Atlas tracks in Benin. Rain has a clear season: the wettest stretch, around June, carries about 41% of the annual 1,342 mm.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 86 | 30° / 86°F | 23° / 73°F | 20 mm | 7 | 30° / 86°F |
| February | 84 | 30° / 86°F | 25° / 77°F | 32 mm | 7 | 29° / 84°F |
| March | 76 | 30° / 86°F | 26° / 79°F | 78 mm | 8 | 29° / 84°F |
| April | 68 | 30° / 86°F | 26° / 79°F | 119 mm | 9 | 30° / 86°F |
| May | 62 | 29° / 84°F | 26° / 79°F | 174 mm | 8 | 31° / 88°F |
| June | 62 | 28° / 82°F | 25° / 77°F | 216 mm | 7 | 30° / 86°F |
| July | 62 | 27° / 81°F | 23° / 73°F | 165 mm | 7 | 27° / 81°F |
| August | 73 | 27° / 81°F | 23° / 73°F | 93 mm | 8 | 26° / 79°F |
| September | 62 | 27° / 81°F | 24° / 75°F | 198 mm | 8 | 26° / 79°F |
| October | 62 | 28° / 82°F | 24° / 75°F | 172 mm | 8 | 28° / 82°F |
| November | 80 | 29° / 84°F | 25° / 77°F | 55 mm | 8 | 30° / 86°F |
| December | 86 | 30° / 86°F | 24° / 75°F | 20 mm | 7 | 29° / 84°F |
Sea temperature in Cotonou by month
The sea off Cotonou is warmest in May at around 31°C / 88°F, and coolest in August at 26°C / 79°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly all year round. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
How Cotonou compares month by month: Cotonou vs Lagos · Cotonou vs Lomé · Cotonou vs Accra · all comparisons
Cotonou: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Cotonou?
Cotonou is a coastal city break in Benin with a tropical — wet & dry seasons climate — the sea reaches 31°C at its warmest and is swimmable (21°C+) year-round.
How many hours of sunshine does Cotonou get a year?
Cotonou gets about 1,921 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around January.
When is the best time to visit Cotonou?
The sunniest time to visit Cotonou is January, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 86/100 (with December and February close behind). Expect daytime highs around 30°C / 86°F.
What is the least sunny month in Cotonou?
May is the least sunny month in Cotonou, scoring 62/100 with about 174 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Cotonou?
The sea in Cotonou ranges from about 26°C (August) to 31°C (May). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Cotonou?
The typical midday UV index in Cotonou peaks around 9 (very high) in April, easing to about 7 (high) in January. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
Put the Cotonou sunshine badge on your site
A compact badge showing Cotonou's sunshine at a glance — free to embed under CC BY 4.0. Paste this wherever you'd like it to appear:
Live preview — this is exactly what your readers see: