Top Websites for African Climate Data
When working on climate research or environmental projects in Africa, having access to reliable weather and climate data is essential. The African continent features a diverse range of climates, from arid deserts to tropical rainforests, making accurate data crucial for agriculture, infrastructure, and academic research. Fortunately, there are several websites where you can find both historical and current climate data specifically tailored for African regions. Below is a comprehensive list of top resources to help you access this valuable information.
TAHMO (Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological Observatory)
TAHMO operates a dense network of weather stations, particularly focused on improving data coverage in under-monitored regions of Africa. The platform aims to build a robust climate data infrastructure across the continent, which is vital for precise weather forecasting and agricultural planning. It offers a convenient API for easy data integration into custom applications. Data available includes rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation. Visit TAHMO
African Mountain Research Foundation
The African Mountain Research Foundation focuses on high-elevation environments. Data here is currently limited to Southern Africa, but it provides crucial insights into mountainous climates. You can find daily data by selecting the specific country, station, year, and month. Data available includes temperature, mean pressure, relative humidity, mean visibility, and wind direction and speed. Visit Website
Weather Underground
Weather Underground is a globally recognized platform that aggregates data from local weather stations, providing extensive global coverage that includes many African countries. You can access daily weather data for specific stations, countries, and time periods. Data available includes temperature, mean pressure, relative humidity, mean visibility, average dew point, and wind direction and speed. Visit Weather Underground
Tutiempo
Tutiempo is an excellent resource for historical climate data and long-term records. The platform provides monthly data over an average year, and some African weather stations even offer daily data spanning fifty years. This long-term perspective is invaluable for studying climate trends in Africa. Data available includes temperature, mean sea level pressure, relative humidity, rainfall, visibility, wind speed, and various weather occurrences. Visit Tutiempo
IRI Data Library
The IRI Data Library, maintained by Columbia University, is a detailed resource widely used in academic research. It provides in-depth datasets for temperature and precipitation data across Africa. This platform is highly recommended for researchers needing rigorous data sets for African climate modeling. Data available includes temperature, rainfall, wet days, and ground frost. Visit IRI Data Library
All Met Sat
All Met Sat provides METAR updates and airport data, which are standard formats for reporting weather information. While the website interface is not always perfectly responsive and may have empty sections on large screens, it remains a useful tool for specific aviation and localized weather data. Note that some stations may not provide complete data sets. Data available includes temperature, rainfall, wet days, and ground frost. Visit All Met Sat
Weatherbase
Weatherbase is a popular site for travel planning and reviewing city-level climate averages. It offers comprehensive data that can help you understand the general climate of different African cities, though some local stations may have incomplete records. Data available includes temperature, rainfall, ground frost, relative humidity, average dew point, and wind speed. Visit Weatherbase
UN Data (WMO)
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), accessible through UN Data, provides a very complete and authoritative data set for climate normals and official statistics. This is an educational and highly reliable source for baseline climate information across African nations, ensuring you are working with globally recognized standards. Visit UN Data
AQUASTAT Climate Information Tool
AQUASTAT, managed by the FAO, focuses heavily on water resources and agriculture. It often features more extensive rainfall data compared to other platforms. While datasets might not be frequently updated, the tool uses interpolation from nearby weather stations to provide data estimates for virtually any location in Africa. Data available includes temperature, humidity, rainfall, sunlight hours, and more. Visit AQUASTAT
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
NOAA is an official website of the United States government and is considered a gold standard for climate research globally. It offers extensive global climate data, including robust datasets for Africa. Accessing NOAA ensures you are utilizing some of the most scientifically rigorous and well-maintained climate records available. Visit NOAA
These websites offer valuable insights for anyone needing detailed African climate data or weather records. Utilizing these resources will significantly enhance any environmental analysis or project focused on the African continent.
Related Concepts & Posts
The following cards provide further definitions of concepts discussed above, and possible links to related posts.
TAHMO (Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological Observatory)
TAHMO operates a dense network of weather stations, particularly focused on improving data coverage in under-monitored regions of Africa. The platform offers an API for easy data integration into applications. Data Available: Rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation.
Visit TAHMO
African Mountain Research Foundation
Data here is limited to Southern Africa as at the time of publication. You can find daily data by selecting the country, station, year, and month. Data Available: Temperature, mean pressure, relative humidity, mean visibility, and wind direction/speed.
Visit Website
Weather Underground
Access daily data for specific stations, countries, and time periods. Data Available: Temperature, mean pressure, relative humidity, mean visibility, average dew point, and wind direction/speed.
Visit Weather Underground
Tutiempo
Provides monthly data over an average year, and some stations offer daily data spanning fifty years. Data Available: Temperature, mean sea level pressure, relative humidity, rainfall, visibility, wind speed, and weather occurrences.
Visit Tutiempo
IRI Data Library
A detailed resource for temperature and precipitation data across Africa. Data Available: Temperature, rainfall, wet days, and ground frost.
Visit IRI Data Library
All Met Sat
Website is not very responsive and may have empty sections on large screens. Some stations may not provide complete data sets. Data Available: Temperature, rainfall, wet days, and ground frost.
Visit All Met Sat
Weatherbase
Comprehensive data, but some stations may have incomplete records. Data Available: Temperature, rainfall, ground frost, relative humidity, average dew point, and wind speed.
Visit Weatherbase
UN Data (WMO)
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) provides a very complete data set for climate normals and official statistics.
Visit UN Data
AQUASTAT Climate Information Tool
Found more rainfall data on their website compared to the others. Datasets might not be frequently updated. Uses interpolation from nearby weather stations to provide data for any location in Africa. Data Available: Temperature, humidity, rainfall, sunlight hours, and more.
Visit AQUASTAT
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Offers global climate data, including for Africa. It’s an official website of the United States government and a gold standard for climate research.
Visit NOAA
