Does it get hot in Chad?

During my years of deputation, I was sometimes asked if the weather gets very hot in Chad.  Well, the short answer is, "Yes!"  It can indeed get very hot there.  I've not yet been there myself during the hottest part of the year, but I've heard it can be almost unbearable at times.  On the other hand, when I arrived in Chad on my first visit to the country in early January 2011, the temperatures were quite pleasant.

To get a more specific and objective idea of the temperatures in Chad, I looked up the listed weather statistics* for Sarh, one of the largest cities in southern Chad, and compared them to other cities in the world.  Keep in mind, though, that these statistics tell only part of the story.  Humidity, wind, rain, sunshine, and the availability of heating and cooling systems all combine with the temperature to make the environment feel pleasant or unpleasant.  Of course, on individual days the temperature may be much higher or lower than the listed average, as well.

For brevity, I'll just list Sarh along with the two cities where I spent the majority of my life before I began full-time missionary work (you can look up your own hometown on Weatherbase.com and make your own comparisons):

Des Moines, Iowa:
    Average annual high: 15 C / 60 F
    Average annual low: 4.6 C / 40.2 F
    Average high during the hottest month of the year: 30 C / 86 F
    Average high during the coldest month of the year: -1 C / 29 F
    Average low during the hottest month of the year: 18.9 C / 66.1 F
    Average low during the coldest month of the year: -11.3 C / 11.7 F

Melbourne, Australia:
    Average annual high: 19 C / 67 F
    Average annual low: 10.2 C / 50.4 F
    Average high during the hottest month of the year: 26 C / 80 F
    Average high during the coldest month of the year: 12 C / 55 F
    Average low during the hottest month of the year: 14.6 C / 58.3 F
    Average low during the coldest month of the year: 6 C / 42.8 F

Sarh, Chad:
    Average annual high: 35 C / 95 F
    Average annual low: 20.8 C / 69.5 F
    Average high during the hottest month of the year: 40 C / 104 F
    Average high during the coldest month of the year: 30 C / 86 F
    Average low during the hottest month of the year: 24 C / 76 F
    Average low during the coldest month of the year: 17 C / 62 F

So just which months are the hottest and coldest months of the year in Chad?  This was a surprise to me when I first learned about it.  The hottest time of the year in Chad is neither July (as in America) or Jan-Feb (as in Australia).  It's March and April!  That's because March and April are the end of the dry season in Chad, and the weather gets very hot as it gears up for rainy season.  Once the rainy season actually sets in, the rain tends to cool things off a bit.

As for the coldest month in southern Chad, that is a little harder to decide.  August actually has the lowest average highs (30 C / 86 F) as it is the height of rainy season and the rain helps it to not get so hot during the day, but Dec-Jan are the coldest months at nighttime (17 C / 62 F).  It is also much less humid in Dec-Jan than in August, so if you ever visit me in Chad, you'll probably find that the middle of the dry season in late December or early January have the most pleasant weather.

* All weather statistics are taken from www.weatherbase.com.  Other sources may vary as to the exact figures but at least this gives an idea.