Month by month
| Month | Afternoon | Sea | Rain | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30.6 °C | 29.2 °C | 11 days | Ideal — one of the best times of year |
| February | 31.1 °C | 29.3 °C | 14 days | Possible, with trade-offs |
| March | 30.5 °C | 29.5 °C | 22 days | Unfavourable season |
| April | 30.4 °C | 29.7 °C | 22 days | Unfavourable season |
| May | 29.8 °C | 29.6 °C | 26 days | Unfavourable season |
| June | 28.3 °C | 28.4 °C | 26 days | Unfavourable season |
| July | 27.4 °C | 27.2 °C | 27 days | Unfavourable season |
| August | 27.3 °C | 26.6 °C | 27 days | Unfavourable season |
| September | 27.9 °C | 27.3 °C | 26 days | Unfavourable season |
| October | 28.8 °C | 28.2 °C | 28 days | Unfavourable season |
| November | 29.4 °C | 28.7 °C | 25 days | Unfavourable season |
| December | 30.3 °C | 29.1 °C | 15 days | Possible, with trade-offs |
Nearby in January
Before you go
Three things to check once you have picked your dates.
Entry
E-visa to apply for online before departure. Passport valid for at least 6 months. Apply for the e-visa online in good time (technical problems reported); no visa on arrival at Yaoundé or Douala; yellow fever certificate required.
For a British passport, per the UK Foreign Office on 9 February 2026. Rules change: check before booking.
Safety
Outside the areas advised against
Parts of the country are advised against (the Far North, the English-speaking North-West and South-West, Adamawa and North, the Bakassi peninsula, within 40 km of the Nigerian, Chadian and Central African borders); Douala is not one of them.
Official advice updated 9 February 2026
Health
CDC level 2 notice: Polio (global)
Vaccines · typhoid recommended for most travellers; hepatitis A and hepatitis B if you are not already vaccinated; rabies, cholera, polio and meningococcal disease depending on activities and areas visited. Routine vaccines up to date (measles in particular).
Yellow fever · Vaccine recommended for the whole country. Vaccination certificate required on entry for all travellers.
Malaria · Present. Areas: All. Preventive medication recommended: Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, tafenoquine — prescribed before departure.
Mosquitoes · dengue and Zika reported: protect yourself from bites.
Per the CDC (page reviewed 25 August 2026); see a travel clinic a few weeks before departure.
Beau Fixe is not a safety or health authority. These notes summarise dated public texts and link to their source: France Diplomatie (Licence Ouverte 2.0), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Source: CDC). Only the competent authorities are authoritative.
FAQ
Can you swim in Douala in January?
The sea averages 29.2°C in January — yes, pleasant swimming.
How hot is Douala in January?
Expect 30.6°C in the afternoon and 24.3°C at night, averaged over the last 10 years.
Does it rain a lot in Douala in January?
Around 11 days with rain (≥ 1 mm) in the month — 37% of days.