Rwanda Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Kigali, Butare, Gitarama, Ruhengeri, and Gisenyi
This month in numbers
Rwanda experienced its 7th warmest June on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 20°C, marking an anomaly of +1.5°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest June on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1°C.
What changed
The April–June 2026 period in Rwanda was the 8th warmest on record, with an average temperature of 19.89°C, an anomaly of +1.4°C. This continues a trend of warmer-than-average conditions, with 2025 being the warmest year on record for Rwanda at 20.75°C. The country's long-term warming trend stands at +1.53°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline.
What’s driving change?
The warmer conditions in Rwanda are part of a broader trend of land warming faster than the ocean. The country also experienced significant rainfall and strong winds in early June 2026, with some regions receiving slightly above average rainfall, influenced by warming sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean associated with ENSO conditions. In March 2026, northern Rwanda experienced mudslides and landslides due to heavy rainfall, causing damage to homes and infrastructure. Earlier in January 2026, flash floods and rainstorms affected several provinces, damaging homes, agriculture, and sanitation infrastructure.
Looking ahead
Southern Greater Horn of Africa countries, including Rwanda, are expected to remain mostly dry during the June-July-August season, which is typically not their main rainy season, while temperatures are likely to be warmer than average across much of the region.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Rwanda
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.
Rwanda – 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 – Rwanda
Our World in Data / NOAA - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Wet / dry seasonsKöppen Cwb · TemperateRwanda doesn't have a warm/cold cycle - its monthly temperature range is only 1.7°C across the year - but it does have a strong wet/dry cycle (the wettest month gets 12× as much rain as the driest). So we track how the wet season has shifted instead.
Monthly rainfall climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Jan (+55 mm, +71%).
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 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 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 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.