DR Congo Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Mbuji-Mayi, Kisangani, and Goma
This month in numbers
June 2026 was exceptionally warm for DR Congo, ranking as the 2nd warmest June on record in 86 years, with an average temperature of 24.86°C, a significant +1.6°C anomaly compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. Globally, June 2026 also stood out as the 3rd warmest June for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1°C. The broader April–June 2026 period for global land temperatures was the 2nd warmest on record, indicating a widespread warming trend.
What changed
The April–June 2026 period in DR Congo saw an average temperature of 24.83°C, an anomaly of +1.3°C, ranking as the 6th warmest such period on record. This continues a trend of elevated temperatures, with the country's average temperature having increased by +1.50°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The year 2025 was the warmest on record for DR Congo, at 25.56°C. The country's 1-month anomaly for June 2026 placed it 84th out of 234 regions globally, slightly warmer than the overall Africa group average.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warming in DR Congo is largely influenced by the broader global trend of land warming faster than ocean, and regional factors such as . Deforestation, often driven by agricultural practices, removes the cooling effect of forests and releases stored carbon, contributing to local and global warming. Additionally, an intensifying El Niño, which developed in May 2026, is expected to continue strengthening into the Northern Hemisphere winter of 2026/2027, with a 63% chance for a very strong El Niño during November 2026 – January 2027. El Niño conditions are historically associated with above-average temperatures in much of the DRC. The country has also experienced abnormal dryness in central and northeastern areas over the last seven weeks, with rainfall totals at 50-80% of average, leading to poor soil moisture conditions.
Looking ahead
For the coming months, above-average temperatures are very likely across most parts of the continent, including DR Congo, during the July to October 2026 season.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – DR Congo
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
DR Congo – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – DR Congo
Our World in Data / NOAA - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Weakly seasonalKöppen Af · TropicalDR Congo is weakly seasonal - temperature barely changes across the year (1.2°C range) and rainfall is fairly even. The clearest climate signal here is overall warming: monthly temperature has risen in every month.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+2.2°C). The warmest month has shifted from Aug to Feb.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Rainfall & Precipitation
Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals
Headline: anomaly vs the 1961–1990 mean. Small figure: the actual value. Rank: position in the full record (1st = highest ever). Record: highest (or lowest) value on record with its year.
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
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 headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and 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.