Digitized full-disk infrared satellite imagery from the European geostationary satellite (Meteosat) for 1986 and 1987 was used to construct a climatology of mesoscale convective complexes (MCCs) in Africa One hundred ninety-five systems formed over Africa and its near vicinity during the two-year study period. From this database, characteristics of African MCCs were calculated. The results indicate that these MCCs display many of the same characteristics as those found in the Americas, the Indian subcontinent, and the western Pacific region. The systems are predominantly nocturnal and tend to form over or in the immediate vicinity of land. Much of the activity occurs over the African Sahel. while comparatively little occurs over the equatorial rain forest. The average lifetime of African MCCs is about 11.5 h, whereas systems in the western Pacific region and the Americas last about 11 and 10 h, respectively. The size distributions of the African systems are also extremely similar to those of the ... Abstract Digitized full-disk infrared satellite imagery from the European geostationary satellite (Meteosat) for 1986 and 1987 was used to construct a climatology of mesoscale convective complexes (MCCs) in Africa One hundred ninety-five systems formed over Africa and its near vicinity during the two-year study period. From this database, characteristics of African MCCs were calculated. The results indicate that these MCCs display many of the same characteristics as those found in the Americas, the Indian subcontinent, and the western Pacific region. The systems are predominantly nocturnal and tend to form over or in the immediate vicinity of land. Much of the activity occurs over the African Sahel. while comparatively little occurs over the equatorial rain forest. The average lifetime of African MCCs is about 11.5 h, whereas systems in the western Pacific region and the Americas last about 11 and 10 h, respectively. The size distributions of the African systems are also extremely similar to those of the ...