Lesotho Climate
Top 5 Cities: Maseru, Teyateyaneng, Mafeteng, Leribe, and Maputsoe
This month in numbers
Lesotho experienced its 27th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 11.27°C, which is 0.8°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures on record, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
The period of February to April 2026 was Lesotho's 10th warmest on record, with an average temperature of 14.64°C, a significant 1.3°C above the 1961–1990 average. This trend aligns with the broader global picture, as global land temperatures for the same three-month period also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record. Lesotho's annual average temperature for 2025 was 12.49°C, making it the 3rd warmest year in 85 years of records, continuing a long-term warming trend of +1.37°C since the 1961–1990 baseline.
What’s driving change?
The current climate patterns in Lesotho are influenced by a Neutral ENSO state, with a Niño 3.4 SST anomaly of +0.11°C for February-April 2026. However, the country has been experiencing the impacts of climate change, including prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall, and recurring water shortages, which significantly affect agricultural production. Recent heavy rainfall events in early May led to flash floods in several areas, damaging homes, crops, and infrastructure, highlighting Lesotho's vulnerability to extreme weather. These floods and storms account for over 90% of the average annual hazard occurrences in the region.
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC forecast indicates a strong likelihood of El Niño developing in the coming months, with a 79% chance for June-August and an 87% chance for July-September. Historically, El Niño conditions are correlated with drier and hotter conditions in Lesotho, which could exacerbate existing water resource challenges and impact agricultural yields.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
Loading climate data...
Data Sources
Data Sources for Lesotho
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 Lesotho changing?
Lesotho 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 Lesotho come from?
Climate data for Lesotho 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 Lesotho climate data cover?
The Lesotho climate profile covers Maseru, Teyateyaneng, Mafeteng, Leribe and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Lesotho
How often is the Lesotho climate update refreshed?
The Lesotho 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.