Mauritania Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, Néma, Kaédi, and Rosso
This month in numbers
Mauritania experienced its 5th warmest June on record, with an average temperature of 34.36°C, a significant +2.0°C anomaly compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The period from April to June 2026 was the 4th warmest such period on record, with an average of 32.38°C, marking a +2.6°C anomaly. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest June on record for land temperatures, and the April–June period ranked as the 2nd warmest globally.
What changed
Mauritania's recent warmth is part of a broader trend, with the country's average temperature for 2025 being the 2nd warmest on record. The long-term trend shows a warming of +1.38°C against the 1961–1990 baseline. The country is situated in the Sahel's "climate vulnerability belt," a region that is warming faster than the global average and is increasingly exposed to drought, desertification, and sandstorms.
What’s driving change?
The current strong El Niño event is a significant driver of the observed warming and drier conditions in Mauritania. El Niño conditions are expected to persist through early 2027 and are forecast to suppress the West African Monsoon, leading to drier-than-normal conditions across the Sahel during June–August. This contributes to the ongoing desertification, which affects over 84% of Mauritania's territory and is directly linked to food security and economic stability. A heatwave also affected Mauritania from May 31 to June 19, with a mean temperature anomaly of 4.4°C across the affected area. Mauritania has activated its national anticipatory action framework for drought, releasing $2.5 million to support around 120,000 people in vulnerable areas, as seasonal forecasts indicate a strong probability of drought conditions.
Looking ahead
El Niño conditions are forecast to continue and strengthen, with a very high likelihood of becoming a strong or even unprecedented event by late 2026 and early 2027, suggesting continued warmer and drier conditions for Mauritania in the coming months.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Mauritania
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.
Mauritania – 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 – Mauritania
Our World in Data / NOAA - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BWh · AridMauritania has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±7.7°C) and a wet/dry cycle (44× 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 (+2 mm, +8%).
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 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 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 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.