Tanzania records hottest year in 2024, surpassing the 2023 record with a national average temperature of 24.3 °C, 0.7°C above normal. There was a more significant warming trend at night, with the yearly average low temperature reaching 19.3°C, which was 1.1°C higher than the long-term average. The average maximum temperature was 28.8°C, approximately 0.4°C warmer than usual.

According to the Tanzania Meteorological Authority’s (TMA) annual report, nighttime temperatures were higher than long-term averages in 11 out of 12 months. March, April, and May all had minimum temperature anomalies above 1°C, but February had the most significant anomaly at 1.5°C above normal. The warmest months in the last 55 years were May, June, and November, while July had the most critical monthly fluctuation at 1.1°C. The second-warmest months were August and September, while February was the third-warmest since 1970.

According to a 2024 study in Nature, the RCP4.5 emissions scenario is expected to lead to more hot days and nights. The detrimental effects of warming temperatures on maize production were also mentioned in a 2017 TMA study.

Warming Strongest in Northeast and Highlands

The strongest warming occurred in the northeastern highlands and around Lake Victoria, where minimum temperatures increased by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius above normal. The southern and southwestern highlands, the Unguja and Pemba islands, and the northern coast all showed comparable anomalies. Inland coastal regions, the middle region, and the western region had smaller rises of 0°C to 1°C.

Across most of the country, maximum temperatures increased by 0°C to 1°C. Anomalies, however, ranged from 0°C to -1 °C in some areas of Tabora and Shinyanga.

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Fourth Wettest Year Since 1970

In addition, Tanzania records its hottest year in 2024, with the country also experiencing its wettest year in 20 years and its fourth wettest year since 1970, receiving 1,307.6 mm of total rainfall, 285.2 mm (28%) more than usual. The wettest rainy season, which lasted from November 2023 to April 2024, recorded 1,354.6 mm of rainfall, representing 172% of the long-term average. Typically dry, January 2024 turned out to be the wettest January ever. May was the ninth driest month, and April was the fifth wettest month.

El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole were associated with these extreme rainfall events. Meteorological stations at Kibaha, Morogoro, Zanzibar, Tanga, and Dar es Salaam (JNIA) recorded rainfall that was three to six times higher than usual. The TMA emphasized that 80% of Tanzanians are employed in agriculture and that livelihoods and food security are at risk due to these unpredictable weather patterns.

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