On Sunday, October 4, 2026, waters took over the roads, traffic routes, and transport infrastructures in some areas.

Blocked roads, flooding, damaged cars, cut-off neighborhoods, slow traffic, a city almost at a standstill… The heavy rains on October 4, 2026, severely disrupted Dakar and its suburbs. With 137.5 mm recorded in 24 hours at Dakar-Yoff, this rainy episode ranks third among the heaviest daily rains recorded at this station since 1981. And while the next 48 hours remain favorable for precipitation, Anacim forecasts less intense rains than those recorded on Sunday.

Dakar did not just receive rain. On Sunday, October 4, 2026, waters took over the roads, traffic routes, and transport infrastructures in some areas. In just a few hours, the precipitation caused significant disruptions in the capital and its suburbs.

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On Malick Sy Road, water completely blocked traffic. One of Dakar’s major routes was submerged, leaving users facing a roadway that became difficult, if not impossible, to cross. Further along the Seydina Limamoulaye highway, the situation was hardly better. Traffic was cut off at Mamelles, where the waters imposed their rule. The usually busy route was interrupted, further complicating travel between Dakar and its suburbs.

On the toll highway, the overflow from the Mbao marsh also caused significant damage to the infrastructure. The waters spilled onto the highway, severely disrupting traffic for several hours. In Grand-Yoff, the neighborhood was completely inundated. The covered roads made travel particularly impossible. The situation was similar in almost all neighborhoods of the suburbs.

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In Grand-Médine, the Emergence Bridge (formerly Senegal Bridge 92) was also completely blocked, disrupting traffic on this route. Transport was not spared. The BRT network, initially halted due to the situation, eventually resumed. The TER and Dem Dikk buses were also affected by the consequences of the heavy rains, further complicating user travel.

“137.5 mm at Dakar-Yoff”

Behind these images of flooded roads and paralyzed traffic, the numbers reveal the extent of the episode. The readings communicated by the National Agency of Civil Aviation and Meteorology (Anacim) report 137.5 mm of rain recorded on October 4 at Dakar-Yoff in 24 hours. Other stations in the region also recorded significant totals. “142 mm in Rufisque, 106.5 mm in Mbao KM 19, 63.2 mm in Bel-Air, 82.2 mm in Dalifort, 91.6 mm in Bambilor, 107 mm in Guédiawaye, 111 mm in Keur Massar, and 116.3 mm in Ngor. In Gorée, the total recorded was 17 mm,” explains Diabel Ndiaye, head of the Climate Service at Anacim.

These figures give an idea of the magnitude of the precipitation recorded in different parts of Dakar and its periphery. But the figure for Dakar-Yoff particularly stands out. “With 137.5 mm in 24 hours, this episode ranks third among the heaviest daily rains recorded at Dakar-Yoff since 1981,” explains Diabel Ndiaye, placing the October 4 episode in a historical perspective.

The rain recorded on Sunday remains behind two major episodes. On August 26, 2012, Dakar-Yoff recorded 160.8 mm, while on September 7, 1996, the total reached 144.1 mm. Thus, the episode of October 4 is not only remarkable for its visible consequences in the capital. Meteorological records show that it is among the most significant recorded at Dakar-Yoff in over four decades.

“Rains Remain Possible in the Next 48 Hours”

And the sky of Dakar has not yet fully regained its calm. After the heavy precipitation on October 4, conditions remain favorable for new rains. When asked about the forecasts, Diabel Ndiaye indicates that “the situation remains favorable for rain in the next 48 hours.” However, this perspective calls for an important nuance. The expected precipitation should be less intense than that recorded on Sunday.

The Climate Service of Anacim remains cautious. “For now, it’s a situation expected to be less intense than yesterday, but our teams are on alert to warn in time about the occurrence of extreme events,” he emphasizes. The coming hours could thus be marked by precipitation, even if the announced scenario does not present, at this stage, the same intensity as the episode of October 4.

For a city still marked by the disruptions caused by the rains on Sunday, this vigilance remains necessary. A noticeable decrease in rainy activity is not expected until later. According to Diabel Ndiaye, a notable decrease in rains is anticipated “from the second half, or even the last decade of October.” Until then, Dakar will have to continue to cope with a still-loaded sky.

After recording, on October 4, one of the most significant daily rainy episodes since 1981, the capital remains under surveillance. The coming hours will tell if the sky will grant the city a little respite.