Eswatini Climate
This month in numbers
Eswatini experienced its 25th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 20.33°C, which is 0.6°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The global land temperature for April 2026 was the 2nd warmest on record, at 14.96°C, an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
The three-month period from February to April 2026 saw an average temperature of 22.35°C, ranking as the 12th warmest such period in 86 years of records, with an anomaly of +0.8°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This places Eswatini 214th out of 234 regions for its three-month temperature anomaly, indicating that while warmer than average, other regions experienced more significant warming. The country has been experiencing below-average rainfall in the past three years, contributing to a serious drought situation.
What’s driving change?
Eswatini has been significantly impacted by extreme weather events, with a notable increase in the frequency of hailstorms, droughts, and floods. In April 2026, the Lubombo and Hhohho regions were hit by a devastating hailstorm, damaging or destroying over 289 homes and affecting approximately 1,445 people. This follows earlier heavy rainfall and flood warnings issued in January 2026, which affected nearly 800,000 people across Southern Africa, including Eswatini. The country is also experiencing a serious drought, with major dams recording very low water levels. These events are consistent with broader climate change impacts, including significant variations in precipitation patterns and higher temperatures.
Looking ahead
The forecast from February to June 2026 indicates generally normal to above-normal rainfall across Eswatini.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
Loading climate data...
Data Sources
Data Sources for Eswatini
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 Eswatini changing?
Eswatini 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 Eswatini come from?
Climate data for Eswatini 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 Eswatini climate data cover?
Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Eswatini Eswatini climate profile with temperature anomalies, rainfall (CRU TS), warm/wet-season shift analysis, CO₂ emissions (Our World in Data) and electricity generation mix — all vs the 1961–1990 baseline..
How often is the Eswatini climate update refreshed?
The Eswatini 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.