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, an anomaly of +1.7°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The period of February–April 2026 was the 2nd warmest on record for Benin, with an average temperature of 31.07°C, an anomaly of +1.9°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, and the February–April period was also the 2nd warmest for global land temperatures.
What changed
Benin's recent warmth is part of a longer-term trend, with 2025 being the warmest year on record at 28.35°C. The country's long-term trend shows an increase of +1.14°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. Benin's April temperature anomaly of +1.73°C placed it 116th out of 234 regions globally for the latest month. For the three-month anomaly, Benin ranked 108th with +1.86°C.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in Benin is largely driven by the broader phenomenon of , where landlocked regions and continental areas tend to heat up at a quicker rate than the oceans. Benin has also experienced significant climate-related disasters in recent decades, including floods, droughts, and wildfires, which have displaced thousands of people. The country is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, despite being a low per capita emitter of greenhouse gases.
Looking ahead
Benin is expected to continue experiencing significant rainfall and rising temperatures in the coming months, marking the full onset of its wet season.
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.