Malawi Climate
Top 5 Cities: Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu, Zomba, and Karonga
This month in numbers
Malawi experienced its 11th warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 22.79°C, marking an anomaly of +1.1°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The period of February to April 2026 was the 8th warmest on record, with an average temperature of 23.28°C, an anomaly of +1°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C, while the February–April 2026 period also ranked as the 2nd warmest for global land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.2°C.
What changed
Malawi has seen a consistent warming trend, with the latest full year (2025) being the warmest on record at 22.81°C. This continues a long-term trend of +0.95°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The country's 1-month temperature anomaly for April 2026 was 0.31°C cooler than the average for the wider Africa group, where the mean anomaly was +1.38°C.
What’s driving change?
The warming trend in Malawi is influenced by global climate change, which is leading to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) has attributed these growing events to climate change. Malawi experienced significant flooding in early 2026, particularly in March, caused by heavy rainfall. These floods affected numerous districts, displacing thousands and resulting in fatalities and injuries. Localized dry spells were also reported in southern Malawi between January and February 2026, impacting crop development. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but El Niño is strongly forecast to develop from May-July 2026, with a 92% probability for June-August 2026. Historically, El Niño events in Southern Africa typically bring warmer and drier conditions, often leading to major droughts and food insecurity, as seen in the 2015-16 and 2023-24 events. More information can be found at ENSO tracker.
Looking ahead
The forecast for the coming months suggests a high probability of El Niño developing, which typically brings warmer and drier conditions to Southern Africa, potentially impacting rainfall patterns and agricultural output in Malawi.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Malawi
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 Malawi changing?
Malawi 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 Malawi come from?
Climate data for Malawi 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 Malawi climate data cover?
The Malawi climate profile covers Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu, Zomba and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Malawi
How often is the Malawi climate update refreshed?
The Malawi 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.