Extreme weather and climate events in 2025 affected at least 13 million people in Africa and led to over 3,000 registered deaths. This is stated in the new World Meteorological Organization report "State of the Climate in Africa 2025," reports UNN.
Details
According to the WMO, climate events had consequences for all sectors of the economy and society on the continent. Africa is struggling to cope with the impacts of extreme weather, yet only about 40% of countries have the multi-hazard early warning systems necessary to protect human lives and livelihoods.
At the same time, the WMO notes that improved cooperation between meteorological services, emergency management agencies, and local authorities, as well as the development of climate services, including seasonal forecasts, are strengthening countries' readiness to respond.
The "State of the Climate in Africa 2025" report provides a regional assessment of key climate indicators, impacts, and risks. Experts, national meteorological and hydrological services, climate centers, and UN partners contributed to its preparation.
Africa is warming faster than the global average
The WMO emphasizes that the African continent is warming faster than the world on average. The rate of warming since 1991 significantly exceeds the figures for any of the previous 30-year periods.
The average annual surface air temperature over land in Africa in 2025 was between the third and seventh warmest on record, depending on the dataset used. It was approximately 0.51 °C higher than the 1991-2020 average.
The highest temperature anomalies were recorded in North Africa, particularly along the Mediterranean coasts of Algeria and Tunisia. In Southern Africa, the temperature anomaly was the lowest, at +0.21 °C relative to the baseline period.
Signs of climate change are clearly visible across Africa — from rising temperatures and sea levels to devastating floods and droughts. This report shows not only the scale of the risks but also the growing importance of early warnings, climate services, and coordinated actions to protect lives and livelihoods
Floods, cyclones, and drought
According to the report, extreme weather has significantly hit African countries. Floods accounted for more than half of the registered climate events. In particular, severe floods in Nigeria in May led to over 200 deaths, and floods in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in April led to over 160 deaths.
The 2024/2025 tropical cyclone season was particularly active in the southern Indian Ocean. Drought in East Africa affected over 8.5 million people.
In 2025, rainfall in the Sahel region was above normal for the second consecutive year. At the same time, most areas of East Africa received less rainfall than normal during both the long and short rainy seasons. In the Horn of Africa, annual rainfall totals were unusually low.
In North Africa, annual rainfall totals along the Mediterranean coast were below normal. Meanwhile, part of Northwest Africa received above-average rainfall for the first time in several years, although the multi-year drought in the region has not eased everywhere.
Africa's glaciers have lost over 90% of their area
The WMO also reported that Africa's glaciers have lost more than 90% of their area since the end of the 19th century. Currently, glaciers on the continent remain only on Mount Kenya, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and in the Rwenzori Mountains on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On Kilimanjaro, the glacier area decreased from 11.4 km² in 1900 to less than 1 km² in recent years. Despite significant snowfall in 2025, the glacier area of this mountain currently stands at about 0.98 km².
The ice area on Mount Kenya and in the Rwenzori Mountains decreased between 1906 and 2021/2022 from 1.64 km² to 0.07 km² and from 6.51 km² to 0.38 km², respectively.
Sea levels near Africa's coasts are rising faster than the global average
The report notes that sea-level rise along African coasts in 1999–2025 exceeded the global average of 3.6 mm per year in several regions. Along Africa's Atlantic coast, this figure was about 4.2 mm per year, along the Indian Ocean coast — 5.2 mm per year, and in the Red Sea — 5.6 mm per year.
Ocean warming also continues in the region, with widespread marine heatwaves being recorded. In 2025, ocean heat content and sea surface temperatures were lower than the record levels of 2023 and 2024 but remained among the historically high values of the last decade.
Furthermore, ocean acidification continues. In 2025, record-low surface water pH levels were observed across much of the region. According to the WMO, ocean warming and acidification harm marine ecosystems and the people whose incomes depend on them.
Reminder
Earlier, we wrote that the planet's temperature has risen by 1.39°C, and the 1.5°C threshold could be crossed by 2030. Meanwhile, due to a lack of funding, Earth monitoring systems are under threat.