Sierra Leone Climate
Top 5 Cities: Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Koidu, and Makeni
This month in numbers
Sierra Leone experienced its 7th warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 28.22°C, an anomaly of +1°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The period of February–April 2026 was the 2nd warmest on record for Sierra Leone, with an average temperature of 28.61°C, an anomaly of +1.3°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C, and the February–April 2026 period was also the 2nd warmest globally for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.2°C.
What changed
The recent three-month period (February–April 2026) in Sierra Leone was exceptionally warm, ranking as the 2nd warmest such period in 86 years of records. This continues a trend of elevated temperatures, with 2025 being the warmest year on record for the country. Sierra Leone's average temperature has seen a long-term trend of +0.88°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The country's vulnerability to climate change is highlighted by its ranking of 181st out of 182 countries in terms of climate vulnerability and readiness.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in Sierra Leone is influenced by global warming trends, with land areas warming faster than oceans. 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 by mid-2026, with probabilities rising to 79% for June-August and 87% for July-September. El Niño events typically lead to a temporary increase in global temperatures. Sierra Leone, like other West African nations, has also experienced significant heatwaves in recent years, with a February 2024 heatwave in the region made 10 times more likely and 4°C hotter by human-caused climate change. Sierra Leone is highly susceptible to climate shocks, including floods, droughts, and coastal erosion, which exacerbate existing challenges like food insecurity. The government has launched a Climate-Resilient Water Investment Program to address these increasing water challenges.
Looking ahead
Seasonal outlooks suggest a likely development of El Niño conditions in the coming months, which could influence temperature and rainfall patterns in the region.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Sierra Leone
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 Sierra Leone changing?
Sierra Leone 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 Sierra Leone come from?
Climate data for Sierra Leone 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 Sierra Leone climate data cover?
The Sierra Leone climate profile covers Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Koidu and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Sierra Leone
How often is the Sierra Leone climate update refreshed?
The Sierra Leone 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.