Niger Climate
Top 5 Cities: Niamey, Zinder, Maradi, Agadez, and Arlit
This month in numbers
Niger experienced its 31st warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 30.61°C, which is 0.9°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures on record, with an anomaly of +1.1°C. The three-month period from February to April 2026 was particularly warm for Niger, ranking as the 6th warmest such period in 86 years of records, with an average temperature of 27.5°C, a significant 2.3°C above the baseline.
What changed
The seasonal trend for Niger shows a marked warming, with the February–April 2026 period being substantially hotter than average. This regional warming aligns with a broader global trend, as global land temperatures for the same three-month period also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record. Niger's 3-month anomaly of +2.32°C places it 78th out of 234 regions in terms of warming, indicating a significant deviation from historical norms.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in Niger is largely driven by , a phenomenon where arid soils, unable to cool through evaporation, lead to faster regional warming and intensify heatwaves. This is particularly relevant given Niger's predominantly rain-fed agriculture and vulnerability to droughts. The ongoing climate crisis is amplifying drought frequency and shifting rainfall patterns, making growing seasons unreliable and placing agriculture at greater risk. Furthermore, the forecast for a developing El Niño phase, with an 82% probability by May–July and increasing to 98% by August–October, typically brings warmer and drier conditions to the Sahel region, potentially exacerbating these trends and impacting the West African monsoon. More information on ENSO can be found at ENSO tracker.
Looking ahead
Seasonal outlooks suggest that Niger may experience a shorter-than-normal rainy season in parts of the country, coupled with a likelihood of warmer-than-average temperatures and prolonged dry spells in the coming months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Niger
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 Niger changing?
Niger 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 Niger come from?
Climate data for Niger 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 Niger climate data cover?
The Niger climate profile covers Niamey, Zinder, Maradi, Agadez and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Niger
How often is the Niger climate update refreshed?
The Niger 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.