DR Congo Climate
Top 5 Cities: Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Mbuji-Mayi, Kisangani, and Goma
This month in numbers
The Democratic Republic of Congo experienced its 6th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 24.91°C, an anomaly of +1.3°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The period of February–April 2026 ranked as the 3rd warmest on record for the country, with an average temperature of 25.49°C, an anomaly of +1.9°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with the February–April 2026 period also ranking as the 2nd warmest for global land temperatures.
What changed
The past three months have seen significantly above-average temperatures in DR Congo, with the February–April 2026 period being the 3rd warmest in 86 years of records. This trend aligns with the broader national picture, as 2025 was the warmest year on record for DR Congo, at 25.56°C. The country's long-term trend shows a warming of +1.50°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. While DR Congo's one-month anomaly for April was 0.10°C cooler than the overall Africa group average, the continent as a whole is experiencing unusually warm conditions.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in DR Congo is part of a broader trend of global warming, with the country experiencing significant temperature increases over the long term. This warming is exacerbated by the , where tropical regions, already close to the limits of human heat tolerance, are experiencing notable temperature shifts. The region has also been grappling with significant extreme weather events. Heavy and persistent rainfall since March 2026 has led to severe flooding across various provinces, including Maniema, Kinshasa, and Tshopo, with the Congo River overflowing its banks in early April. This follows earlier flooding in Fungurume in Lualaba Province in February. Conversely, central and western parts of DR Congo have also experienced abnormal dryness and drought conditions since late 2025, impacting agriculture and water availability. These contrasting conditions highlight the erratic nature of weather patterns influenced by climate change.
Looking ahead
An evolving ENSO-neutral phase is currently present, which may influence rainfall patterns in the coming months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for DR Congo
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 DR Congo changing?
DR Congo 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 DR Congo come from?
Climate data for DR Congo 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 DR Congo climate data cover?
The DR Congo climate profile covers Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Mbuji-Mayi, Kisangani and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for DR Congo
How often is the DR Congo climate update refreshed?
The DR Congo 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.