Sierra Leone Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Koidu, and Makeni
This month in numbers
Sierra Leone experienced its 3rd warmest June on record, with an average temperature of 25.71°C, an anomaly of +0.9°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The April–June 2026 period also ranked as the 3rd warmest on record, with an average of 26.88°C, an anomaly of +0.9°C. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest on record for land temperatures, and the April–June period was the 2nd warmest.
What changed
Sierra Leone's consistently warmer-than-average temperatures this past month and season align with a long-term warming trend for the country, which has seen an increase of +0.88°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The year 2025 was the warmest on record for Sierra Leone, at 26.86°C. While Sierra Leone experienced abnormal dryness in its western region due to below-average rainfall since the beginning of the rainy season, other parts of the West Africa's Gulf of Guinea coast are anticipating flooding due to observed and forecasted above-average rainfall.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in Sierra Leone is part of a broader trend of global warming, with land warming faster than ocean. The ongoing ENSO-neutral conditions globally are contributing to mixed dryness and flooding conditions across various regions, including parts of West Africa. Sierra Leone is particularly vulnerable to climate change, facing more frequent floods, environmental shocks, and unpredictable weather patterns. The Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency (SLMET) has also forecasted strong winds and variable rainfall for the 2026 rainy season, with some districts expected to receive below their cumulative average rainfall, while others anticipate normal to average levels.
Looking ahead
The ongoing ENSO-neutral conditions are expected to continue, with the potential for an intensifying El Niño weather pattern through late 2026 and into next year, which could trigger further climate-related disruptions including changing rainfall patterns, bringing drought to some regions and severe flooding to others.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Sierra Leone
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.
Sierra Leone – 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 – Sierra Leone
Our World in Data / NOAA - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Wet / dry seasonsKöppen Am · TropicalSierra Leone doesn't have a warm/cold cycle - its monthly temperature range is only 4.0°C across the year - but it does have a strong wet/dry cycle (the wettest month gets 76× 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: Jun (-64 mm, -17%).
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 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 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 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.