Botswana Climate
Top 5 Cities: Gaborone, Francistown, Molepolole, Serowe, and Maun
This month in numbers
Botswana experienced an average April 2026 temperature of 21.41°C, which was exactly on par with the 1961–1990 baseline and ranked as the 50th warmest April in 86 years of records. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The three-month period from February to April 2026 saw Botswana's average temperature at 23.64°C, an anomaly of +0.2°C, ranking 38th warmest in 86 years.
What changed
Botswana's temperature for the February–April 2026 period was slightly above average, contrasting with the global land temperature which ranked as the 2nd warmest for the same three-month period, with an anomaly of +1.2°C. Botswana was among the coolest regions globally for both the latest month and the three-month anomaly, ranking 229th out of 234 countries for April and 232nd for the February–April period. The country has experienced significant rainfall, with the Department of Meteorological Services forecasting normal to above-average rainfall across much of the country between January and April 2026. This has led to widespread flooding, particularly in central and northwestern Botswana, with temporary road closures in areas like Moremi Game Reserve in March due to inundated tracks.
What’s driving change?
The current climate in Botswana is being influenced by a Neutral ENSO state, with a transition to El Niño becoming the most likely scenario in the coming months. Historically, El Niño typically brings warmer, drier conditions to Southern Africa, often leading to major droughts and food insecurity. The heavy seasonal rains experienced across Botswana and the wider Zambezi basin between January and April 2026 have been attributed to a weak La Niña climate pattern, which typically brings wetter conditions to Southern Africa. This has resulted in significant flooding, with reports of inundated homesteads and disrupted access routes in areas like the North West District in March 2026. The increased rainfall has also been linked to an early and expansive flood season in the Okavango Delta, transforming both desert and delta landscapes.
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC forecast indicates a 61% probability of El Niño developing during May–July 2026, increasing to 87% by July–September 2026, which typically suggests a shift towards warmer and drier conditions for Southern Africa in the coming months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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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 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 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.