Gambia Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Banjul, Serekunda, Brikama, Bakau, and Farafenni
This month in numbers
Gambia experienced its 14th warmest June on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 29.68°C, which is 0.9°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The April–June 2026 period ranked as the 6th warmest on record, with an average temperature of 30.05°C, a significant 1.2°C above the baseline. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest June on record for land temperatures, and the April–June period ranked as the 2nd warmest globally for land temperatures.
What changed
The past three months have seen consistently above-average temperatures in Gambia, with April, May, and June 2026 all recording anomalies of +1.4°C, +1.2°C, and +0.9°C respectively. This trend aligns with the long-term warming observed in the region, which has seen an increase of +1.03°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. Gambia's 12-month rolling anomaly places it 209th out of 234 regions, indicating that while the country is warming, other areas globally are experiencing even more pronounced temperature increases.
What’s driving change?
The warming trend in Gambia is consistent with the broader global pattern of rising temperatures, influenced by factors such as . The 2026 rainy season in Gambia began in June, with an early onset in some eastern parts of the country between June 14 and 20, and later in western regions between June 24 and 27. However, forecasters predict below-normal to normal rainfall for the main rainy months of July, August, and September, with many areas potentially receiving less than 700 millimetres of rain. This forecast also includes the possibility of moderate-to-long dry spells, lasting between seven and fourteen days, at both the beginning and end of the season, which could impact agricultural activities.
Looking ahead
The seasonal forecast for July, August, and September suggests below-normal to normal rainfall conditions across The Gambia, with a risk of dry spells at the beginning and end of the season.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Gambia
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.
Gambia – 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 – Gambia
Our World in Data / NOAA - 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 428× as much rain as the driest). So we track how the wet season has shifted instead.
Monthly rainfall climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Aug (-59 mm, -14%).
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 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.
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.
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.