Namibia Climate
Top 5 Cities: Windhoek, Rundu, Walvis Bay, Oshakati, and Swakopmund
This month in numbers
Namibia experienced an April that was 0.4°C warmer than the 1961–1990 average, ranking as the 43rd warmest April in 86 years of records. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperature on record, with an anomaly of +1.1°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The three-month period from February to April 2026 saw Namibia's average temperature at 23.42°C, an anomaly of +0.8°C, making it the 26th warmest such period on record.
What changed
The past three months (February-April 2026) in Namibia were notably warmer than average, continuing a trend of above-normal temperatures. This follows a particularly wet December 2025, which saw many weather stations exceeding seasonal rainfall norms, driven by weak La Niña conditions and unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the south-east Atlantic Ocean. However, the increased rainfall associated with La Niña was expected to subside between February and April 2026. Namibia's average temperatures have risen by 1.2 degrees Celsius, which is more than twice the global average, intensifying drought, flooding, and wildfire risks.
What’s driving change?
The shift from La Niña to Neutral ENSO conditions has influenced rainfall patterns, with the increased rainfall typically associated with La Niña expected to decrease. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a +0.11°C anomaly for February-April 2026. However, forecasts indicate a strong probability of El Niño developing in the coming months, with a 61% chance for May-July and 79% for June-August. Historically, El Niño events typically bring warmer and drier conditions to Southern Africa, often leading to major maize-belt droughts and widespread food insecurity, as seen in the 2015-16 and 2023-24 events. In April 2026, the northern regions of Namibia experienced the seasonal efundja flood from Angola, impacting areas like Ohangwena, Omusati, and Oshana, leading to school closures and concerns for agricultural land. Furthermore, in late April 2026, the town of Okahandja and other central and northern regions experienced an unusual and intense hailstorm with flash flooding, causing significant property and agricultural damage.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Namibia
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 Namibia changing?
Namibia 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 Namibia come from?
Climate data for Namibia 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 Namibia climate data cover?
The Namibia climate profile covers Windhoek, Rundu, Walvis Bay, Oshakati and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Namibia
How often is the Namibia climate update refreshed?
The Namibia 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.