Tanzania experienced its hottest year on record in 2024 driven by unusually high nighttime temperatures and a surge in extreme rainfall events according to the latest annual climate report by the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA). The country average annual minimum temperature a crucial indicator of nighttime heat climbed to 19.3°C, a sharp 1.1°C above the long-term average.
This rise in minimum temperatures outpaced the increase in daytime highs, which averaged 28.8°C, only 0.4°C above normal. The disparity signals a clear trend of warming nights, with scientists warning of its growing impact on human health, agriculture and ecosystems.
Nighttime warming leads the trend
The warming trend was widespread, with northeastern highlands, Lake Victoria basin, southern regions, and coastal islands such as Unguja and Pemba experiencing 1°C to 2°C higher-than-average nighttime temperatures. Central and inland coastal areas recorded increases between 0°C and 1°C.
TMA’s data shows that 11 out of 12 months in 2024 recorded higher-than-normal nighttime temperatures. February stood out with the highest deviation at 1.5°C above average, while May, June, and November were the warmest for those months in 55 years. July 2024 had the highest monthly anomaly at 1.1°C above average, and August and September ranked as the second warmest since records began in 1970.
Hottest year, wettest season
Alongside record-breaking heat, 2024 was Tanzania’s fourth wettest year since 1970 and the wettest in 20 years with total rainfall reaching 1,307.6 mm, a massive 28 per cent above average. The period from November 2023 to April 2024 was particularly extreme, delivering 1,354.6 mm of rainfall 172 per cent of the seasonal norm.
January 2024 traditionally a dry month became the wettest January ever recorded, with some eastern regions witnessing more than 200 per cent of their typical rainfall. April ranked as the fifth wettest on record, while May stood out as the ninth driest, revealing the erratic and unpredictable nature of recent weather patterns.
This unusual rainfall was primarily driven by a strong El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole which funneled intense moisture into the region. Weather stations in Dar es Salaam, Kibaha, Morogoro, Zanzibar, and Tanga reported rainfall totals three to six times above normal averages.
Climate impacts already unfolding
With 80 per cent of Tanzanians dependent on agriculture, the combined impact of rising temperatures and erratic rainfall is a looming threat. The TMA has previously warned that higher temperatures could severely impact maize yields, the nation’s staple crop.
Experts say the 2024 trends confirm projections from global climate models including a 2024 study in Nature that forecast a continued rise in hot days and nights under current emissions pathways. Tanzania’s national average temperature in 2024 reached 24.3°C, surpassing 2023’s record and becoming the highest ever recorded.
As extreme weather becomes the new normal the report reinforces an urgent need for climate adaptation, investment in resilient agriculture, and stronger early warning systems to protect lives and livelihoods in the years ahead.