Gambia Climate
Top 5 Cities: Banjul, Serekunda, Brikama, Bakau, and Farafenni
This month in numbers
Gambia experienced its 5th warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 30.16°C, marking an anomaly of +1.4°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C. The three-month period from February to April 2026 also ranked as the 10th warmest on record for Gambia, with an average temperature of 28.44°C, an anomaly of +0.8°C.
What changed
The past three months (February-April 2026) in Gambia have been notably warmer than average, continuing a long-term warming trend for the country, which has seen an increase of +1.03°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This regional warming aligns with the broader global picture, as global land temperatures for the February-April 2026 period also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record. Gambia's 3-month anomaly places it 206th out of 234 regions globally, indicating that while the country is experiencing significant warming, other regions are seeing even more pronounced temperature increases.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in Gambia is influenced by the broader trend of land warming faster than ocean. Additionally, a recent report highlighted that drought remains the most widespread hazard across the country, followed by floods, coastal erosion, and rising temperatures. These dry conditions can contribute to , where the lack of moisture in the soil leads to higher air temperatures. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with an anomaly of +0.11°C for February-April 2026. However, forecasts indicate a strong probability of El Niño developing in the coming months, with a 61% chance for May-July and a 79% chance for June-August. El Niño events are historically associated with higher than normal temperatures and below-average rainfall in Southern Africa, which could further exacerbate warming and drought conditions in the region in the future.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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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 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 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.