Tanzania Climate
Top 5 Cities: Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Mwanza, Arusha, and Zanzibar City
This month in numbers
Tanzania experienced its 9th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 22.99°C, an anomaly of +1.1°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The period of February–April 2026 was the 4th warmest on record for Tanzania, with an anomaly of +1.5°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest on record for land temperatures, and the February–April period also ranked as the 2nd warmest globally.
What changed
The recent three-month period (February–April 2026) saw Tanzania record its 4th warmest such period in 86 years of records, indicating a significant warming trend. This aligns with the broader global picture, as global land temperatures for the same period also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record. Tanzania's 1-month anomaly for April placed it 166th out of 234 regions, while its 3-month anomaly ranked 133rd.
What’s driving change?
The warming trend in Tanzania is influenced by the broader global climate change, with land warming faster than the ocean. 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. El Niño typically brings wetter conditions to East Africa during the "short rains" season (October-December), often leading to flooding and locust outbreaks.
Tanzania has also experienced significant extreme weather events recently. In late March 2026, prolonged and intense rainfall led to severe flooding and landslides in the Mbeya Region, particularly in Rungwe District. This disaster resulted in at least 20 fatalities, primarily children, and caused widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure, including roads and bridges in areas like Serengeti National Park. The Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) had previously warned of potential floods and health risks during the March-May Masika rainy season, with enhanced rainfall activity expected in April. Conversely, some areas in central and northern Tanzania experienced persistent drought conditions from November to January, leading to soil moisture shortages and vegetation stress.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Tanzania
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 Tanzania changing?
Tanzania 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 Tanzania come from?
Climate data for Tanzania 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 Tanzania climate data cover?
The Tanzania climate profile covers Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Mwanza, Arusha and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Tanzania
How often is the Tanzania climate update refreshed?
The Tanzania 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.