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, marking an anomaly of +1.5°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The period of February–April 2026 was the 2nd warmest on record, with an average temperature of 20.61°C, a significant +2°C above the baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
Rwanda's consistently high temperatures over the past three months place it 91st globally for its 3-month anomaly. This warming trend is part of a broader pattern, with the country's latest full-year average temperature in 2025 being the warmest on record at 20.75°C. Rwanda has experienced a temperature increase of 1.4°C since 1970, which is higher than the global average.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warming in Rwanda is influenced by global climate change, with the country being highly vulnerable to its impacts. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with an anomaly of +0.11°C for February-April 2026. However, forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of an El Niño developing in the coming months, with a 61% chance for May-July and a 79% chance for June-August. This shift could bring warmer and drier conditions to the region, potentially exacerbating existing challenges. Rwanda has also been experiencing more intense rainfall and increased variability, leading to floods and landslides, particularly in the western and northern provinces. In late April 2026, despite late April typically being one of the wettest periods, Meteo Rwanda reported lower than expected rainfall across much of the country, alongside a noticeable increase in both maximum and minimum temperatures.
Looking ahead
Meteo Rwanda forecasts that the first ten days of May 2026 will bring rainfall within the normal range for the season, with amounts expected to vary between 28 mm and 105 mm nationwide.
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.