Accra is hot all year. The variation is not in temperature but in rain and dust, and the practical consequences of each are considerable.
Ghana sits on GMT with no daylight saving, so the clocks never change and the day is roughly twelve hours long throughout the year.
The seasons
Major rainy season — roughly April to July
The heaviest rain. Downpours are intense and often short, arriving in the afternoon or overnight.
This is when Accra floods. June is historically the worst month; the June 2015 flood, which coincided with the Circle fuel station explosion, killed more than 150 people.
Practically:
- Check whether your road floods before you rent — How to find a place
- Do not drive or walk through moving water
- Do not take an okada in the rain
- Expect traffic to seize up completely during a downpour
- Keep documents and electronics off the floor
- Waiting out a heavy rain somewhere with a roof is normal and sensible
Minor rainy season — roughly September to November
Shorter, lighter rain. Less disruptive than the major season, and pleasant.
Harmattan — roughly December to February
Dry, dusty wind blowing down from the Sahara. The sky goes hazy, visibility drops, and a fine layer of dust settles on everything.
Nights are noticeably cooler, which after months of humidity feels wonderful.
Practically:
- Skin and lips crack. Moisturiser and lip balm, seriously.
- Eyes get dry and irritated. Eye drops help.
- Asthma and allergies get worse. Keep your inhaler topped up.
- Dust gets into everything. Electronics, wardrobes, food.
- Flights are occasionally disrupted by poor visibility.
- Fire risk rises. Everything is dry.
The dry heat — roughly February to April
Hot, humid and still, before the rains break. The most uncomfortable stretch of the year for many people.
Month by month
| Months | What to expect |
|---|---|
| December – February | Harmattan. Dusty, hazy, cooler nights. |
| February – April | Hot, humid, building toward the rains. |
| April – July | Major rainy season. Flooding risk. |
| July – August | A relative lull. Cooler, overcast. |
| September – November | Minor rainy season. Lighter rain. |
Temperatures sit broadly in the high twenties to low thirties Celsius year round. Humidity is what makes it feel hotter.
What to wear
Light, breathable, natural fibres. Cotton and linen. Synthetics are punishing in the humidity.
Ghanaian dress is smart. Casual does not mean scruffy, and this catches people out. Offices, churches and social occasions all expect you to have made an effort. Ghanaian print — kente, wax print, batik — is worn widely and proudly, and having something made by a local tailor is inexpensive and a good idea.
Something for the rain. A light waterproof, not an umbrella you will lose.
Charley wote — the rubber flip-flops. You will live in them.
Something warmer for harmattan nights, and for the air conditioning in offices, which is often set to arctic.
Sun
You are close to the equator. The sun is strong even through harmattan haze and even under cloud. Sunscreen, a hat, and shade in the middle of the day.
Mosquitoes
Mosquito populations rise during and after the rains, and malaria transmission rises with them. Nets and repellent matter most from April onward, though malaria is endemic year round.
Water and power
Both seasons stress the infrastructure in different ways.
Rains can disrupt power through storms and flooding, and can contaminate water supplies.
Dry season can worsen water rationing, and low water levels at the Akosombo dam have historically contributed to dumsor, since much of Ghana’s electricity is hydroelectric.
The best time to visit
December and January. Harmattan haze, but the coolest nights, the least rain, and the busiest social calendar — Christmas, New Year, Detty December, and a large diaspora presence in the city.
Avoid the peak of the major rainy season in June if you can, unless you are comfortable with disrupted travel.