Weather & Climate

Geography and Environment

The islands are of volcanic origin and except for the Boa Vista, Maio and Sal are mountainous with rugged cliffs and steep ravines. The coastal plains are semi-desert with fine sandy beaches while the mountains are covered by thin forests.

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (Pico do Cano, an active volcano on Fogo Island).

Natural resources: salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum

Land use:
arable land: 9.68%
permanent crops: 0.5%
other: 89.82% (2001)

Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active

Environment - current issues: soil erosion; deforestation due to demand for wood used as fuel; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection

Climate

Cape Verde has a tropical climate with two seasons. A cool dry season from December to June and a warm season between July and November. Rainfall is low and unreliable with most of it occurring during August and September. The islands suffer from severe shortages of water and rainfall which cause prolonged droughts periodically. Tropical heat and high humidity prevail throughout the year and the conditions are uncomfortable except when fanned by the northeast sea breezes.

Climatological temperature and rainfall for Sal, Cape Verde
 

Average temperature ranges in Praia:
19 to 25 C (66 to 77 F) in February-March
24 to 29 C (75 to 84 F) in October

Weather

The standard temperature remains around 25° and the changes do not exceed the 10° due to the influence from the ocean. In the sea the temperatures stay between the low of 21° in February and March and the high of 25° in September and October.

Click here to get current weather information