The Sahel region of West Africa has experienced some of the most severe multi-decadal rainfall variations in the world: excessive rainfall in the 1950s-1960s followed by two decades of deficient rainfall, leading to a large negative trend until the mid-to-late 1980s with a decrease in annual rainfall of between 20% and 30%. Recently, there has been a partial recovery of annual rainfall amounts, more significant over the central than the western Sahel. This recovery is characterised by new rainfall features, including false starts and early cessation of rainy seasons, increased frequency of rainy days, increased precipitation intensity and more frequent and longer dry spells . The Sahel is experiencing a new era of rainfall extremes , suggesting an intensification of the hydrological cycle .
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report