Malawi Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu, Zomba, and Karonga
This month in numbers
Malawi experienced its 10th warmest June on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 19.47°C, an anomaly of +1.1°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest June for land temperatures on record, with an anomaly of +1°C. The period of April–June 2026 also ranked as the 12th warmest on record for Malawi, with an average temperature of 20.93°C, an anomaly of +0.9°C.
What changed
Malawi's recent warmth is part of a broader trend, with the country experiencing its warmest year on record in 2025, at 22.81°C. The long-term trend shows a warming of +0.95°C against the 1961–1990 baseline. For the latest month, Malawi's temperature anomaly was 0.45°C cooler than the average for the wider Africa group.
What’s driving change?
The current climate patterns are significantly influenced by a weak El Niño, which was present in April-June 2026 with an anomaly of +0.98°C. Forecasts indicate a 100% probability of El Niño persisting through the end of 2026. El Niño typically brings warmer and drier conditions to Southern Africa, often leading to drought and food insecurity, as seen in previous strong El Niño events. Malawi has already faced significant challenges from extreme weather events in early 2026, with floods caused by heavy rainfall affecting an estimated 160,000 people and claiming dozens of lives across 29 councils. These recurrent floods and droughts are trapping Malawi in a cycle of debt and disaster.
Looking ahead
The strengthening El Niño is likely to bring below-average rainfall to southern Malawi during the 2026/27 season, with delayed and poorly distributed rains expected from October to January, potentially leading to food insecurity in the south.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Malawi
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.
Malawi – 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 – Malawi
Our World in Data / NOAA - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Cwa · TemperateMalawi has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±3.4°C) and a wet/dry cycle (68× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly rainfall climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Dec (+21 mm, +11%).
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.
Climate Systems
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Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
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 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 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.