1257. State of the Climate in Africa

The latest report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), State of the Climate in Africa 2024, notes that extreme weather and climate change are exacerbating hunger, insecurity, and displacement across Africa, affecting all aspects of socio-economic development.

The year 2024 was one of the hottest years on record due to rising sea surface temperatures and widespread marine heatwaves. The average temperature across Africa in 2024 was about 0.86°C higher than the 1991-2020 average, making 2024 the warmest or second warmest year on record (1900-present) (depending on the dataset used), with the past decade being the warmest on record.

The report outlines serious challenges in agriculture, food and water security, health, and education, while also highlighting new opportunities through AI, mobile tools, and advanced weather models. Extremely heavy rains and devastating floods hit many parts of Africa, causing widespread deaths, displacement, and damage to infrastructure. Torrential rains affected millions in West and Central Africa, with countries such as Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic particularly hard hit. The 2023 El Niño and Indian Ocean Dipole, both of which continued into early 2024, played a major role in the extreme weather patterns observed in 2024. In southern Africa, prolonged drought has led to widespread crop failures, food insecurity, and severe humanitarian and environmental challenges. Extremely low water levels in Lake Kariba, the world's largest man-made lake, have caused severe power shortages in Zambia and Zimbabwe, resulting in significant reductions in hydroelectric power, prolonged blackouts, and economic disruption.

Artificial intelligence, numerical weather prediction models, and mobile communication tools are improving the accuracy and accessibility of weather services in Africa, but scaling up the digital transformation requires further investments in infrastructure, strengthening data-sharing frameworks, and more inclusive service delivery. The report calls for urgent investments in infrastructure, data sharing, and inclusive services to strengthen early warning systems and climate resilience.

(Reference)
WMO (2025) State of the Climate in Africa 2024. https://library.wmo.int/records/item/69495-state-of-the-climate-in-afri…

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki, Information Program