Heatwaves and Floods Batter Africa as El Nino Fuels Record Ocean Temperatures

Africa is being squeezed by extreme weather on two fronts at once this July, as forecasters warn of abnormal heat across the continent's east and centre even as deadly flooding sweeps through communities along the West African coast.

Temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius are expected to bring abnormal heat to parts of eastern Central African Republic, South Sudan, northeastern DR Congo, Uganda, eastern Sudan and western Ethiopia — a broad swathe of the continent already grappling with conflict, displacement and strained health systems, now facing the added burden of dangerous heat. Northern Africa shows a similarly strong signal for warmer-than-normal conditions.

At the same time, heavy rain has brought high runoff and flash-flooding risk to western Ethiopia, while above-average rainfall has caused significant flooding along West Africa's Gulf of Guinea coast. Ghana in particular has reported multiple incidents of flooding in its southern and western regions, with fatalities, submerged homes, ruined farmland and damaged roads and public facilities.

Behind both extremes lies a confirmed El Nino weather pattern, which meteorologists say is fuelling more intense and more frequent extreme-weather events worldwide. Ocean surface temperatures reached a record high in June 2026, a signal that the climate system driving these disruptions shows no sign of easing in the near term.

The World Meteorological Organization has warned that extreme weather and climate change are intensifying hunger, insecurity and displacement across Africa, compounding pressures on agriculture, food security and water access in communities that were often already vulnerable. For a continent that contributes least to global greenhouse-gas emissions but suffers among the most from their consequences, this July's heat and floods are only the latest instalment in a deepening climate reckoning.