Mauritania Climate
Top 5 Cities: Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, Néma, Kaédi, and Rosso
This month in numbers
Mauritania experienced its 4th warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 29.9°C, a significant +3.0°C anomaly compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
Over the three-month period from February to April 2026, Mauritania recorded an average temperature of 25.55°C, marking it as the 12th warmest such period in 86 years of records, with an anomaly of +1.6°C. This warming trend in Mauritania aligns with the broader global picture, as global land temperatures for the same three-month period ranked as the 2nd warmest on record, with an anomaly of +1.2°C. Mauritania's April anomaly of +3.04°C placed it 60th out of 234 regions in terms of warmth for the month.
What’s driving change?
The elevated temperatures in Mauritania are influenced by the broader trend of , a global phenomenon where land surfaces heat up more quickly than oceans. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a +0.11°C anomaly in the Niño 3.4 region for February-April 2026. However, forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of an El Niño developing in the coming months, with a 61% chance for May-July and a 79% chance for June-August. Historically, El Niño events are associated with warmer and drier conditions in the Sahel region, which includes Mauritania, potentially leading to a drier West African monsoon and reduced cereal yields. Mauritania is already facing structural climate vulnerability, with a high and recurrent exposure to droughts and increasing pressure on limited water resources. Recent reports from April 2026 also highlighted rising temperatures along the southern coast of Mauritania, accompanied by dust and sandstorms in northwestern and southeastern regions. The country has been experiencing ongoing drought conditions, with recent rainfall proving insufficient to replenish shallow groundwater reserves crucial for oasis ecosystems and date farming, threatening the livelihoods of tens of thousands.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Mauritania
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 Mauritania changing?
Mauritania 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 Mauritania come from?
Climate data for Mauritania 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 Mauritania climate data cover?
The Mauritania climate profile covers Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, Néma, Kaédi and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Mauritania
How often is the Mauritania climate update refreshed?
The Mauritania 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.