State of the Climate in Africa 2023

The WMO report on the State of the Climate in Africa 2023 is the fifth annual report on the climate in WMO Regional Association I (Africa). It provides an assessment of past and current climate trends across the African continent using the latest data and information on extreme weather and climate events and their socioeconomic impacts. Over the past 60 years, Africa has recorded a warming trend that has become more rapid than the global average. In 2023, the continent experienced heatwaves, heavy rains, floods, tropical cyclones, and prolonged droughts. While many countries in the Horn of Africa and north-western Africa continued to suffer from exceptional multi-year drought, others experienced extreme precipitation events leading to flooding with significant casualties. These extreme events had devastating impacts on communities, with serious economic implications. The report is the result of a multi-agency effort, with contributions from African National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), WMO Regional Climate Centres (RCCs), specialized United Nations agencies and international organizations, the African Development Bank, the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) project, and numerous experts and scientists.