Burkina Faso Climate
Top 5 Cities: Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso, Koudougou, Ouahigouya, and Banfora
This month in numbers
Burkina Faso experienced its 5th warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 33.73°C, marking an anomaly of +1.8°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This follows a trend of exceptional warmth, as the February–April 2026 period also ranked as the 4th warmest on record, with an anomaly of +2.1°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
The past three months (February–April 2026) have been significantly warmer than average for Burkina Faso, with temperatures +2.1°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This places the region's recent warmth within a broader context of rising temperatures, as the country's long-term trend shows an increase of +1.10°C compared to the same baseline. Burkina Faso's 2025 average temperature of 29.29°C was the 3rd warmest year on record. The country faces a complex crisis driven by climate shocks and structural vulnerabilities, with reliance on rainfed agriculture heightening exposure to climate variability.
What’s driving change?
The elevated temperatures in Burkina Faso are largely driven by the broader pattern of , a global phenomenon where land areas heat up more quickly than oceans. The Sahel region, including Burkina Faso, experienced a significant heatwave in March and April 2024, with temperatures soaring above 45°C. This heatwave was attributed to human-induced climate change, highlighting the impact of global warming on regional extremes. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a strong forecast for El Niño developing in the coming months, with an 82% probability for May-Jul 2026, increasing to 98% by August-October 2026. Historically, El Niño phases in the Sahel region are associated with warmer and drier conditions, potentially leading to a drier West African monsoon and reduced cereal yields. Burkina Faso is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, including chronic drought, flash floods, high winds, and heatwaves.
Looking ahead
The strong forecast for an El Niño phase in the coming months suggests a heightened risk of warmer and drier conditions for Burkina Faso, potentially impacting the West African monsoon and agricultural yields.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
Loading climate data...
Data Sources
Data Sources for Burkina Faso
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 Burkina Faso changing?
Burkina Faso 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 Burkina Faso come from?
Climate data for Burkina Faso 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 Burkina Faso climate data cover?
The Burkina Faso climate profile covers Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso, Koudougou, Ouahigouya and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Burkina Faso
How often is the Burkina Faso climate update refreshed?
The Burkina Faso 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.