Gambia Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Banjul, Serekunda, Brikama, Bakau, and Farafenni
Summary
The Gambia experienced its 6th warmest July on record, with average temperatures rising well above normal as the West African rainy season got under way. Persistent humidity and unseasonable heat created sweltering conditions across the country, while global land temperatures simultaneously reached their 3rd highest level for the month. Conditions are expected to stay warm and humid into late summer.
This month in numbers
July 2026 recorded an average temperature of 28.72°C across Gambia, placing it +1.5°C above the 1961-1990 baseline. This marks the 6th warmest July in 87 years of records extending back to 1940, short of the record high of 29.28°C set in 2021. On a global level, land surface temperatures averaged 15.8°C with a +1.6°C anomaly, ranking as the 3rd warmest July on record.
What changed
The broader May-July period brought sustained warmth, with the three-month average reaching 29.6°C. That represents a +1.1°C anomaly and ranks as Gambia's 9th warmest May-July since 1940. The elevated local figures mirror an extraordinarily warm northern summer worldwide, as global land surface temperatures for May-July reached their 2nd warmest level in history with a +1.5°C anomaly. Long-term climate data shows Gambia has warmed by 1.03°C overall since the late 20th century baseline.
What’s driving change?
Regional warming patterns in West Africa are heavily shaped by , where atmospheric heating alters the delicate balance of the West African Monsoon and causes erratic rainfall alongside prolonged periods of dry heat. Furthermore, because , the West African interior heats rapidly during summer months, elevating both day and nighttime temperatures before monsoon moisture fully establishes itself.
Looking ahead
Seasonal forecasts from regional meteorological authorities suggest that total rainfall across Gambia will likely remain normal to below normal through the peak rainy months, accompanied by potential dry spells before the season draws to a close.
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 – Gambia
Köppen BSh · AridGambia has a arid climate (Köppen BSh: Hot steppe), with only modest temperature variation through the year, but a pronounced wet and dry season. April is typically the warmest month, averaging 30.1°C, while January is the coldest at 25.7°C. Annual precipitation averages around 798mm, 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 – Gambia
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 – Gambia
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 – Gambia
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Gambia
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 – Gambia
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Wet / dry seasonsKöppen Aw · TropicalGambia doesn't have a warm/cold cycle - its monthly temperature range is only 4.6°C across the year - but it does have a strong wet/dry cycle (the wettest month gets 357× 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: Aug (-95 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 Gambia
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 Gambia changing?
Gambia 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 Gambia?
Gambia has a arid climate (Köppen BSh: Hot steppe), with only modest temperature variation through the year, but a pronounced wet and dry season. April is typically the warmest month, averaging 30.1°C, while January is the coldest at 25.7°C. Annual precipitation averages around 798mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Gambia come from?
Climate data for Gambia 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 Gambia climate data cover?
The Gambia climate profile covers Banjul, Serekunda, Brikama, Bakau and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Gambia
How often is the Gambia climate update refreshed?
The Gambia 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 Gambia 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 Gambia 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.