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°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, at 14.96°C, an anomaly of +1.1°C. The first week of April also saw heavy rains and flooding in several provinces of Mauritania, attributed to a persistent trough.
What changed
The February–April 2026 period saw an average temperature of 25.55°C, ranking as the 12th warmest such period on record for Mauritania. This represents a +1.6°C anomaly compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The country's latest full-year average temperature in 2025 was 28.57°C, making it the 2nd warmest year on record. Mauritania is experiencing a long-term warming trend, with temperatures increasing by +1.38°C against the 1961–1990 baseline. The nation also faces recurrent droughts and floods, intensified by climate change, leaving over 590,000 people vulnerable to food insecurity and malnutrition.
What’s driving change?
The significant warming observed in Mauritania is largely driven by the broader global trend of land warming faster than the ocean. The Sahel region, where Mauritania is located, is particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change, with recent rainfall proving insufficient to replenish shallow groundwater reserves vital for oasis ecosystems and date farming. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of El Niño developing from May–July 2026, with probabilities reaching 98% by August–October 2026. Historically, El Niño events typically bring warmer and drier conditions to the Sahel region, potentially impacting the West African monsoon and reducing cereal yields. More information on ENSO can be found at ENSO tracker.
Looking ahead
With a strong El Niño forecast for the coming months, Mauritania could experience warmer and drier conditions, potentially impacting the crucial monsoon season and agricultural yields.
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.