Benin Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Cotonou, Porto-Novo, Parakou, Abomey-Calavi, and Bohicon
Summary
Benin recorded its 2nd warmest July on record, with average temperatures rising 1.5°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The unusual mid-year heat coincided with heavy seasonal downpours across West Africa, where overflowing rivers and rising water levels prompted government emergency alerts and widespread flood warnings. With the rainy season persisting, heat and humidity are expected to remain elevated over the coming weeks.
This month in numbers
July 2026 delivered an average temperature of 26.6°C, representing a +1.5°C anomaly compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This made it the 2nd warmest July in 87 years of records, trailing only the same month in 2023 when temperatures reached 27.02°C. Over the broader May to July quarter, the average temperature reached 27.95°C, marking a +1.3°C anomaly and ranking as the 6th warmest May–July period on record. Globally, land temperatures in July were the 3rd warmest ever recorded at 15.8°C (+1.6°C anomaly).
What changed
The elevated warmth in July continues a sustained high-temperature trend across the region. Over the three months from May to July, Benin averaged 27.95°C, mirroring wider global land warmth where the same period ranked as the 2nd warmest on record. In the long term, Benin has warmed by +1.16°C relative to its 1961–1990 baseline, with four of its five warmest years on record occurring since 2021. The nation's warmest year remains 2024 at 28.34°C, followed closely by 2025 at 28.25°C.
What’s driving change?
The combination of persistent warmth and heavy downpours across West Africa reflects , as shifting atmospheric dynamics alter the seasonal West African monsoon. Furthermore, , allowing continental West Africa to heat up significantly faster than nearby waters. While local heavy rains swamped waterways and triggered national civil protection warnings, the flooding was not severe enough to register as a major international disaster cluster, unlike the 29 wildfires currently tracked in Angola on our live map at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
Seasonal climate outlooks indicate that temperatures across West Africa are likely to remain above normal, maintaining a risk of localised heavy rainfall over the next 1-3 months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Benin
Köppen As · TropicalBenin has a tropical climate (Köppen As: Tropical savanna (dry summer)), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. March is typically the warmest month, averaging 31.4°C, while August is the coldest at 25.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1099mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly precipitation.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Benin
Right axis: everything else standardized to standard deviations (σ) from its own average, since mm/hours/days aren't directly comparable to °C or to each other.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Benin
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI heatwave measure: days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Benin
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Benin
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Benin
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Aw · TropicalBenin has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±2.5°C) and a wet/dry cycle (24× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Sep (+34 mm, +20%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
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.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
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 headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Benin?
Benin has a tropical climate (Köppen As: Tropical savanna (dry summer)), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. March is typically the warmest month, averaging 31.4°C, while August is the coldest at 25.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1099mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
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.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Benin climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Benin climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.