Niger Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Niamey, Zinder, Maradi, Agadez, and Arlit
Summary
July 2026 brought severe heat to Niger, registering an average temperature of 33.53°C, which marked the nation's 2nd warmest level on record for the month since observations began in 1940. This capped a relentless 3-month stretch from May to July that also ranked as the 2nd warmest such period on record, with temperatures running 1.8°C above the long-term baseline. Across the Sahel, intense heatwaves have added severe pressure to local communities during the onset of the seasonal rains. Meanwhile, global climate patterns are being influenced by a moderate El Niño on our tracker at ENSO, which is forecast to peak at Very Strong between September and November. Conditions across the region are expected to remain unseasonably warm over the next 1–3 months.
This month in numbers
July 2026 recorded an average temperature of 33.53°C in Niger, representing an anomaly of +2.2°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. That makes it the 2nd warmest occurrence in 87 years of record-keeping, trailing only the all-time benchmark of 33.53°C established in 1987. Looking at the broader season, the May–July 2026 average temperature reached 33.99°C, an anomaly of +1.8°C, which also stands as the 2nd warmest May–July period on record, behind only 2024. Globally, land temperatures for the month were the 3rd warmest on record at 1.6°C above baseline, while the 3-month global average ranked 2nd warmest.
What changed
The recent warmth fits into a sustained long-term warming trend in Niger, where annual average temperatures have risen by 1.47°C relative to the 1961–1990 baseline since 1940. The full year 2025 was the country's 4th warmest on record with an average temperature of 28.37°C, placing it among a cluster of exceptionally warm recent years led by 2010, 2016, and 2023. Over the past 6 months, Niger experienced elevated temperatures in almost every period, including a February anomaly of +2.5°C and a May anomaly of +1.9°C. While global land temperatures ran 1.5°C above baseline for the May–July window, Niger experienced even higher departures, reflecting how continental interiors heat up rapidly during peak heat periods.
What’s driving change?
Niger's extreme thermal departures are largely propelled by and dynamics, where arid inland soils lack the moisture necessary to cool the surface through evaporation during intense solar heating. On a global scale, tropical climate patterns are currently influenced by a moderate El Niño, which shows a sea-surface temperature anomaly of +0.98°C on the Relative Niño Index at ENSO. While historical teleconnections between ENSO and West African monsoon weather carry a modest reliability of roughly 50 percent, El Niño events typically lean towards warmer and drier conditions across the Sahel during the monsoon season, suppressing cloud cover and allowing relentless heat to build.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead over the next 1–3 months, seasonal forecasts indicate that elevated temperatures are likely to persist across the Sahel while El Niño intensifies towards a forecast peak strength category of Very Strong with a 93 percent probability between September and November.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Niger
Köppen BWh · AridNiger has a arid climate (Köppen BWh: Hot desert), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. June is typically the warmest month, averaging 34.0°C, while January is the coldest at 18.8°C. Annual precipitation averages around 200mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly precipitation.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Niger
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Niger
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Niger
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Niger
Latest month is provisional and may be revised by the data provider in the next update cycle.
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Niger
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BWh · AridNiger has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±7.3°C) and a wet/dry cycle (13× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: May (-14 mm, -70%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
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.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
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 headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Niger?
Niger has a arid climate (Köppen BWh: Hot desert), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. June is typically the warmest month, averaging 34.0°C, while January is the coldest at 18.8°C. Annual precipitation averages around 200mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
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.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Niger climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Niger climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.