Rwanda Climate
Top 5 Cities: Kigali, Butare, Gitarama, Ruhengeri, and Gisenyi
This month in numbers
Rwanda experienced its 5th warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 19.93°C, a significant 1.5°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The period of February to April 2026 was the 2nd warmest on record, with an average temperature of 20.61°C, a striking 2°C above the baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with the February-April period also ranking as the 2nd warmest globally.
What changed
Rwanda's consistently high temperatures this past month and season stand in stark contrast to its typical climate patterns. The country's 3-month anomaly of +2.01°C places it 99th warmest out of 234 regions globally, indicating a significant warming trend compared to many other areas. This follows a trend of increasing temperatures, with 2025 being the warmest year on record for Rwanda.
What’s driving change?
The elevated temperatures in Rwanda are largely influenced by global warming trends, including the phenomenon of . Additionally, the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone's positioning and enhanced moisture inflows are influencing Eastern Africa's wet seasons, which can contribute to erratic rainfall patterns and temperature shifts. Rwanda has also experienced significant extreme weather events recently. Between January 1 and March 11, 2026, disasters including lightning strikes, landslides, and floods claimed 28 lives across the country, with 75 people injured and 297 houses damaged. Heavy rains in late April and early May 2026 also led to widespread flooding and landslides in the northern and western provinces, resulting in at least 115 fatalities and leaving thousands homeless.
Looking ahead
Meteo Rwanda forecasts that the first ten days of May 2026 will bring rainfall within the normal range for the season, varying between 28 mm and 105 mm nationwide.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Rwanda
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 Rwanda changing?
Rwanda 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 Rwanda come from?
Climate data for Rwanda 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 Rwanda climate data cover?
The Rwanda climate profile covers Kigali, Butare, Gitarama, Ruhengeri and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Rwanda
How often is the Rwanda climate update refreshed?
The Rwanda 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.