Burundi Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Bujumbura, Gitega, Muyinga, Ruyigi, and Ngozi
Summary
Burundi experienced its 2nd warmest July on record as temperature anomalies climbed well above historical baselines. The persistent heat capped off a remarkably warm three-month period across the East African nation, continuing a long-term warming trajectory that has seen average temperatures rise significantly over recent decades. With agricultural conditions already strained by localised dry spells during the primary cropping season, heat levels are expected to remain elevated into late dry-season months.
This month in numbers
The nation recorded an average temperature of 21.86°C in July 2026, marking a 2.1°C anomaly above the 1961-1990 baseline. This was the 2nd warmest July in 87 years of records, surpassed only by the record set in 2024. Globally, land temperatures also soared, marking the 3rd warmest July on record. Over the three-month period from May to July 2026, Burundi averaged 21.4°C, an anomaly of 1.9°C that also ranked 2nd highest on record.
What changed
Temperatures in Burundi have accelerated upward through 2026, rising from a modest 0.6°C anomaly in February to sustained departures above 1.6°C from May onward. The three-month trend reflects wider regional patterns of elevated temperatures across East Africa. On a longer horizon, Burundi's long-term trend stands at 1.38°C above the 1961-1990 baseline, with 2025 ranking as the 5th warmest year on record and 2024 holding the all-time high of 21.73°C.
What’s driving change?
Regional temperature increases are driven primarily by fundamental processes where , creating pronounced atmospheric heating over interior African landscapes. Locally, extensive and land-cover changes have reduced evaporative cooling from dense vegetation, amplifying surface heat. While no major extreme weather events triggered international emergency alerts within the national borders, localised dry spells during agricultural cycles have exacerbated soil drying and heat retention.
Looking ahead
Seasonal climate models indicate that warm conditions are likely to persist across the region over the coming months as the secondary rainy season approaches.
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 – Burundi
Köppen Aw · TropicalBurundi has a tropical climate (Köppen Aw: Tropical savanna (dry winter)), with only modest temperature variation through the year, but a pronounced wet and dry season. September is typically the warmest month, averaging 22.4°C, while December is the coldest at 20.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1198mm, 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 – Burundi
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 – Burundi
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 – Burundi
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Burundi
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 – Burundi
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Wet / dry seasonsKöppen Aw · TropicalBurundi doesn't have a warm/cold cycle - its monthly temperature range is only 2.1°C across the year - but it does have a strong wet/dry cycle (the wettest month gets 43× as much rain as the driest). So we track how the wet season has shifted instead.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Dec (+35 mm, +27%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Burundi
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 Burundi changing?
Burundi 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 Burundi?
Burundi has a tropical climate (Köppen Aw: Tropical savanna (dry winter)), with only modest temperature variation through the year, but a pronounced wet and dry season. September is typically the warmest month, averaging 22.4°C, while December is the coldest at 20.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1198mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Burundi come from?
Climate data for Burundi 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 Burundi climate data cover?
The Burundi climate profile covers Bujumbura, Gitega, Muyinga, Ruyigi and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Burundi
How often is the Burundi climate update refreshed?
The Burundi 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 Burundi 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 Burundi 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.