Botswana Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Gaborone, Francistown, Molepolole, Serowe, and Maun
This month in numbers
Botswana experienced a June 2026 temperature of 14.38°C, which was 0°C above the 1961–1990 baseline, ranking as the 60th warmest June in 86 years of records. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest June on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The April–June 2026 period in Botswana saw an average temperature of 17.52°C, a -0.3°C anomaly, making it the 69th warmest such period on record.
What changed
While Botswana experienced a slightly cooler-than-average April–June period, ranking 232nd out of 234 regions globally for its 3-month anomaly, the wider global picture shows a significant warming trend. The global land temperature for April–June 2026 was the 2nd warmest on record, with an anomaly of +1°C. Botswana's 2025 average temperature of 23.43°C was the warmest year on record, continuing a long-term warming trend of +1.10°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline.
What’s driving change?
The current climate patterns are significantly influenced by a weak El Niño, which is expected to strengthen further in the coming months. El Niño typically brings warmer and drier conditions to Southern Africa, and the FAO has forecast a greater than 50 percent probability of agricultural drought across large parts of Botswana. This follows previous El Niño events in 2015–16 and 2023–24, which caused widespread food insecurity and drought in the region. Despite the general warming trend and El Niño's influence, Botswana has also experienced an exceptional flood year in the Okavango Delta during 2026, driven by above-average rainfall in the Angolan Highlands and local precipitation, leading to unusually high water levels and an earlier, stronger flood cycle.
Looking ahead
The ongoing El Niño is expected to strengthen into a more significant event ahead of the 2026/27 summer season, likely bringing above-average temperatures and drier conditions across much of Southern Africa.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Botswana
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Botswana – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – Botswana
Our World in Data / NOAA - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BSh · AridBotswana has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±5.5°C) and a wet/dry cycle (94× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly rainfall climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Mar (-9 mm, -15%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Rainfall & Precipitation
Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals
Headline: anomaly vs the 1961–1990 mean. Small figure: the actual value. Rank: position in the full record (1st = highest ever). Record: highest (or lowest) value on record with its year.
Climate Systems
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Emissions & Energy
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Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Botswana
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 Botswana changing?
Botswana 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.
Where does the climate data for Botswana come from?
Climate data for Botswana 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 Botswana climate data cover?
The Botswana climate profile covers Gaborone, Francistown, Molepolole, Serowe and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Botswana
How often is the Botswana climate update refreshed?
The Botswana 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.