Central African Republic Climate
Top 5 Cities: Bangui, Bimbo, Mbaïki, Berbérati, and Kaga-Bandoro
This month in numbers
The Central African Republic experienced its 10th warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 28.51°C, marking an anomaly of +1.4°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Looking at the broader picture, the period from February to April 2026 was the 2nd warmest on record, with an average temperature of 29.24°C, a significant +2°C anomaly. This follows 2025, which was the warmest year on record for the country, with an average temperature of 27.2°C.
What changed
The past three months (February–April 2026) have seen consistently elevated temperatures, with each month recording an anomaly well above the historical average. This warming trend in the Central African Republic aligns with a broader global pattern, as global land temperatures for both April 2026 and the February–April 2026 period also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record. The Central African Republic's 3-month anomaly of +1.98°C places it 93rd warmest out of 234 regions in cross-region rankings.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in the Central African Republic is influenced by the ongoing climate trend of land warming faster than ocean. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a +0.11°C anomaly in the Niño 3.4 region for February-April 2026. However, forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of an El Niño developing in the coming months, with a 61% chance for May-July and a 79% chance for June-August. El Niño events typically bring drier conditions to Central Africa. Recent reports from April 2026 indicate that bushfires and adverse weather have affected several villages, particularly in Haut-Mbomou, exacerbating an already critical humanitarian situation. Additionally, the onset of the rainy season in central and southern regions, expected in March-April, is forecast to have generally average rainfall through May, which is crucial for maize planting.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Central African Republic
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 Central African Republic changing?
Central African Republic 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 Central African Republic come from?
Climate data for Central African Republic 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 Central African Republic climate data cover?
The Central African Republic climate profile covers Bangui, Bimbo, Mbaïki, Berbérati and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Central African Republic
How often is the Central African Republic climate update refreshed?
The Central African Republic 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.