Benin Climate
Top 5 Cities: Cotonou, Porto-Novo, Parakou, Abomey-Calavi, and Bohicon
This month in numbers
Benin experienced its 4th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 31.42°C, a significant 1.7°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This follows a trend of exceptional warmth, as the February–April 2026 period ranked as the 2nd warmest such period in 86 years of records, with an anomaly of +1.9°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures, indicating a widespread warming trend.
What changed
The past three months (February–April 2026) in Benin have been exceptionally warm, with temperatures ranking 2nd highest on record. This regional warming aligns with a broader global trend, as global land temperatures for the same period also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record. Benin's latest monthly anomaly of +1.7°C places it 125th out of 234 regions globally for April, while its 3-month anomaly of +1.9°C ranks it 100th globally. The country's average temperature for 2025 was 28.35°C, making it the warmest year on record.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in Benin is largely influenced by the broader phenomenon of , where land areas heat up at a quicker rate than the oceans. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a weekly Niño 3.4 SST anomaly of +0.9°C as of April 29, 2026. However, there is a strong forecast for an evolving El Niño phase in the coming months, with a 61% probability for May-July and an 87% probability for July-September. Historically, El Niño events are often associated with warmer and drier conditions in West Africa. While no official heatwave alerts were issued specifically for Benin, neighbouring countries in West Africa, such as Mali and Ivory Coast, experienced extreme heat in March 2026, with temperatures reaching 34°C to 45°C.
Looking ahead
The strong probability of an evolving El Niño in the coming months suggests that Benin could experience warmer and potentially drier conditions in the weeks and months ahead.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Benin
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Benin changing?
Benin is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Benin come from?
Climate data for Benin comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Benin climate data cover?
The Benin climate profile covers Cotonou, Porto-Novo, Parakou, Abomey-Calavi and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Benin
How often is the Benin climate update refreshed?
The Benin climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.