Zimbabwe Climate
Top 5 Cities: Harare, Bulawayo, Chitungwiza, Mutare, and Gweru
This month in numbers
Zimbabwe experienced its 12th warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 22.29°C, marking an anomaly of +1.3°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The period from February to April 2026 ranked as the 15th warmest on record, with an average temperature of 23.21°C, an anomaly of +1.1°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C, while the February–April 2026 period also ranked as the 2nd warmest globally for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.2°C.
What changed
Zimbabwe's recent warmth aligns with a broader trend, as the country recorded its warmest year on record in 2025, with an average temperature of 22.92°C. The long-term trend for Zimbabwe shows a warming of +1.20°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. While Zimbabwe's latest monthly anomaly of +1.34°C places it 148th globally for April, the global land temperature anomaly for April 2026 was significantly higher, ranking 2nd warmest on record.
What’s driving change?
The current climate is influenced by ENSO-neutral conditions, which emerged in early April 2026 and are favoured through April-June 2026. However, an El Niño event is likely to emerge in May-July 2026 (61% chance) and persist through at least the end of 2026, with a high probability of a Super El Niño developing in 2027. Historically, El Niño events are associated with warmer, drier conditions in Southern Africa, often leading to major droughts and food insecurity, as seen in the 2015-16 and 2023-24 seasons. Zimbabwe experienced significant flooding in early 2026 due to heavy rainfall, which caused widespread damage and affected approximately 250,000 people, with over 100 deaths reported. This was followed by a heatwave in February 2026, with temperatures soaring above 38 degrees Celsius in some regions. The country also faces a high risk of veldfires, particularly during the dry season, with over 936,000 hectares of land destroyed by wildfires in the 2025 fire season.
Looking ahead
El Niño is likely to emerge in the coming months, with a high probability of persisting through at least the end of 2026, suggesting a potential for drier and warmer conditions in Zimbabwe for the upcoming agricultural season.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Zimbabwe
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 Zimbabwe changing?
Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe come from?
Climate data for Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe climate data cover?
The Zimbabwe climate profile covers Harare, Bulawayo, Chitungwiza, Mutare and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Zimbabwe
How often is the Zimbabwe climate update refreshed?
The Zimbabwe 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.