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The Weather and Climate in Mauritania

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The climate in Mauritania has no general classification to it as a whole. However, it has been observed that when divided into four climate zones, a general climate profile could be observed on the four different zones. The four zones are: The Saharan Zone, the Sahelian Zone, the Senegal River Valley and the Coastal Zone.

The Saharan Zone is the zone that occupies the northern two thirds of the country’s territorial claim. It is called Saharan Zone because of its proximity to the Sahara. As with any desert and its adjacent areas, the only word that can describe it is “arid.” This part of Mauritania may have no rain at all in a year or more. Rains form in this area during the months of July to September. Storms happen here also but rarely, and when that happen, large quantities of water are dropped to the area. Temperature in this area fluctuates like oil prices as it suddenly drops and spikes. From December to January, the area could have 0°C in the morning to a skin-burning 38°C by mid-afternoon. In other months, temperature could be as low as 16°C to 49°C.

At the south of the Saharan Zone up to 30 kilometers of the Senegal River is the Sahelian Zone. This zone experiences rain in a more predictable manner.  Rains are often observed from June and lasts until October. The temperature here doesn’t exhibit the same extreme intra-day fluctuations as in the Saharan desert as the average thermometers usually just hovers between 16°C and 21°C. A delay of one month in the rain here usually causes migration to Mali or else massive losses in livestock is imminent.

30 kilometer south of the Sahel is the Senegal River Valley.  This narrow belt of land that stretches to the north of Senegal River has a totally different climate profile from that of the Saharan and Sahelian zones. Rain occurs here more frequently as it has an annual thickness of 400 to 600 mm annually. Rain starts here earlier than the Sahelian Zone as rains starts to pour in the month of May.

The Coastal Zone is the only zone that is not victimized by the harmattan wind because another trade wind patrols this area.  Rain in this area is scant as 30 mm is the observed annual rainfall. The temperature here is a tad hotter than the Senegal River Valley area because humidity sets in here because of the prevailing wind here is from the ocean. More or less, temperature here has a low of 16°C to 19°C to a high of 28°C to 32°C.