Libya Climate
Top 5 Cities: Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata, Bayda, and Zawiya
This month in numbers
Libya experienced its 22nd warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 23.43°C, an anomaly of +0.9°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The global land temperature for April 2026 was 14.96°C, ranking as the 2nd warmest April on record globally.
What changed
The three-month period from February to April 2026 saw Libya record its 7th warmest such period on record, with an average temperature of 19.64°C, an anomaly of +1.8°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The global land temperature for this same three-month period also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record. Libya's 2025 annual average temperature of 23.92°C was the 2nd warmest in 85 years of records, continuing a long-term warming trend of +1.50°C since the 1961–1990 baseline.
What’s driving change?
Libya is currently experiencing a severe drought, which has lasted for two months and shows anomalies typical of mild to severe events. This drought is part of a significant shift in the country's climate pattern, with almost 50% of Libya's climate cycle now categorised as drought, an unprecedented level. This intensifying aridity is further exacerbated by the effect, contributing to rising temperatures and declining rainfall. In March 2026, western Libya, including Greater Tripoli, was hit by a Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone, locally known as a medicane, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall that caused widespread flooding and disruption. This event led to an emergency bad weather holiday being declared in Greater Tripoli on March 17.
Looking ahead
An intense heat wave is expected in the coming weeks, with temperatures potentially reaching nearly 50 degrees Celsius in some areas of Libya due to a strong atmospheric rise and the Fohn wind phenomenon.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Libya
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 Libya changing?
Libya 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 Libya come from?
Climate data for Libya 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 Libya climate data cover?
The Libya climate profile covers Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata, Bayda and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Libya
How often is the Libya climate update refreshed?
The Libya 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.