Mali Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Bamako, Sikasso, Mopti, Koulikoro, and Kayes
This month in numbers
Mali experienced its 11th warmest June on record, with an average temperature of 34.24°C, marking an anomaly of +1.1°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The period of April to June 2026 was the 5th warmest on record for Mali, with an average temperature of 34.07°C, an anomaly of +2.1°C. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest June on record for land temperatures, and the April-June period ranked as the 2nd warmest globally for land temperatures.
What changed
The past three months (April-June 2026) have seen Mali experiencing significantly warmer conditions, ranking as the 5th warmest such period in 86 years of records. This trend aligns with a broader pattern of warming across Africa, which is warming faster than the global average. Mali's average temperature for 2025 was 29.66°C, making it the 3rd warmest year on record, and the long-term trend shows a warming of +1.40°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline.
What’s driving change?
The current warming trend in Mali is significantly influenced by the ongoing El Niño event, which developed in May and is expected to strengthen over the coming months and persist through the Northern Hemisphere winter. El Niño conditions are typically associated with warmer and drier conditions across the Sahel region, including Mali, and can lead to a reduced West African monsoon and lower cereal yields. Additionally, a heatwave affected Mali from May 31 to June 19, with a mean temperature anomaly of 4.4°C and maximum temperatures reaching 42.0°C. This aligns with the broader global trend of increasing frequency and intensity of heat extremes.
Looking ahead
The forecast indicates a moderate to high probability of above-average temperatures for most of Mali in July and for the July-September season, with chances ranging from 50% to over 70% in many areas. The El Niño is expected to continue and potentially strengthen, which historically correlates with below-average rainfall across Mali during the upcoming season. More information on the evolving ENSO phase can be found at ENSO.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Mali
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.
Mali – 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 – Mali
Our World in Data / NOAA - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BWh · AridMali has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±6.5°C) and a wet/dry cycle (116× 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: Sep (+4 mm, +6%).
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.
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Mali
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 Mali changing?
Mali 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 Mali come from?
Climate data for Mali 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 Mali climate data cover?
The Mali climate profile covers Bamako, Sikasso, Mopti, Koulikoro and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Mali
How often is the Mali climate update refreshed?
The Mali 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.