Early meteorological observations in West Africa during the 18th century

Abstract

This paper aims to present new meteorological data from West Africa during the 18th century. The data sources used are colonial reports, medical treatises on the health conditions in the region, and accounts of exploratory expeditions. The data correspond to five locations in West Africa: Saint-Louis and Gorée (Senegal), Bulama (Guinea-Bissau), Freetown (Sierra Leone), and Accra (Ghana). Based on daily and monthly resolutions, approximately 4,400 new meteorological recorded observations were recorded (temperature, precipitation, wind direction, qualitative information on atmospheric conditions). The database obtained is a set of scattered meteorological series with short observation periods and without homogeneous characteristics.However, these data allow us to obtain an overview of the climatic conditions in this area during the study period and information on specific phenomena.