Burkina Faso Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso, Koudougou, Ouahigouya, and Banfora
Summary
Burkina Faso experienced an extraordinarily hot month, recording one of its warmest July temperatures in nearly nine decades of record-keeping. Severe heat delivered intense thermal stress across the Sahel while global land temperatures also matched near-record levels. Pacific climate patterns show a moderate El Niño forecast to peak at Very Strong in Sep-Nov, with elevated temperatures and dry conditions expected to persist into late autumn.
This month in numbers
July 2026 delivered an average temperature of 28.69°C across Burkina Faso, standing 1.6°C above the 1961-1990 baseline. That made it the 3rd warmest July since records began in 1940, falling just short of the all-time record of 29.24°C set in 1941. Worldwide, global land temperature also soared, reaching 15.8°C with a 1.6°C anomaly to rank as the 3rd warmest July on record globally.
What changed
The hot month extended a broader seasonal trend, as May-July 2026 averaged 30.41°C, an anomaly of +1.1°C that ranks as the 7th warmest equivalent period on record. Globally, the same three-month period reached 14.34°C (+1.5°C anomaly), the 2nd warmest May-July ever observed. This persistent warmth builds on recent years in West Africa; 2025 was the country's 4th warmest year on record at 29.21°C, fitting into an overall long-term warming trend of +1.10°C above baseline.
What’s driving change?
The elevated temperatures across Burkina Faso reflect widespread , where altered atmospheric circulation alters typical seasonal rainfall and cloud cover. Arid conditions reinforce this warming through , as parched ground lacks the moisture needed for evaporative cooling. In the tropical Pacific, a moderate El Niño is currently active and tracked live at ENSO, though historically El Niño teleconnections have a weak ~50% reliability in the Sahel and act primarily alongside broader background warming trends.
Looking ahead
Seasonal models project that the active El Niño has a 93% probability of reaching Very Strong intensity in Sep-Nov, which is expected to maintain above-average regional temperatures and sustain erratic rainfall patterns across the Sahel into late autumn.
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 – Burkina Faso
Köppen BSh · AridBurkina Faso has a arid climate (Köppen BSh: Hot steppe), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. April is typically the warmest month, averaging 33.6°C, while January is the coldest at 25.9°C. Annual precipitation averages around 841mm, 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 – Burkina Faso
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Burkina Faso
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - 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 – Burkina Faso
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Burkina Faso
Latest month is provisional and may be revised by the data provider in the next update cycle.
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 – Burkina Faso
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BSh · AridBurkina Faso has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±3.3°C) and a wet/dry cycle (56× 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: Jul (+40 mm, +26%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore 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.
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 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 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 Burkina Faso?
Burkina Faso has a arid climate (Köppen BSh: Hot steppe), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. April is typically the warmest month, averaging 33.6°C, while January is the coldest at 25.9°C. Annual precipitation averages around 841mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
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.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Burkina Faso 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 Burkina Faso 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.