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. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures. The three-month period from February to April 2026 was the 4th warmest on record for Tanzania, with an average temperature of 23.73°C, marking a significant anomaly of +1.5°C against the baseline.
What changed
The recent three-month period (February–April 2026) saw Tanzania ranking as the 4th warmest on record, indicating a sustained warming trend. This aligns with the broader regional picture, as Africa experienced a 1-month anomaly of +1.38°C and a 3-month anomaly of +1.49°C. Tanzania's April anomaly was slightly cooler than the continental average for the month. The country's long-term trend shows a warming of +1.10°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline, with 2025 being the 4th warmest year on record.
What’s driving change?
The warming trend in Tanzania is influenced by global climate change, contributing to more frequent extreme weather events. The current climate pattern is also significantly impacted by the evolving ENSO state. While the current NOAA ONI 3-month (FMA 2026) indicates Neutral conditions, the forecast strongly points towards an El Niño developing, with an 82% probability for May–July 2026, rising to 98% by August–October 2026. Historically, El Niño events are associated with wetter conditions in East Africa, particularly during the "short rains" (October-December), often leading to flooding and locust outbreaks.
Tanzania has recently experienced significant rainfall and associated impacts. Between December 2025 and March 2026, heavy rains, floods, strong winds, and landslides resulted in 86 fatalities and affected over 37,000 people nationwide. In late March 2026, intense rainfall caused severe flooding and landslides in the Mbeya Region, leading to at least 20 deaths. The Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) had warned of potential floods during the March-May 2026 rainy season, with April projected to see the most intense activity. These events highlight the country's vulnerability to and the increasing intensity of rainfall.
Looking ahead
The strong forecast for an El Niño event in the coming months suggests a heightened likelihood of wetter conditions for East Africa, which could mean continued vigilance for heavy rainfall and potential flooding in Tanzania.
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.