Regional climates [in “State of the Climate in 2016]

In 2016, most of Africa experienced above-average surface 47 air temperatures. Rainfall over the region 7.5°–15°N was above average whereas rainfall over most of equatorial Africa and the region south of the equator was below average. Several extreme weather conditions were reported, including heat waves, floods, and droughts associated with convective storms in Morocco and Egypt, and in several countries in West Africa. Unusually low temperatures (around −6°C) were also reported in Ethiopia. The reference period for this annual climate assessment is 1981–2010. Both observed and reanalysis datasets were used for the analysis. Observed data sources include meteorological and hydrological services across the continent and the African Centre for Meteorological Application and Development (ACMAD) in Niamey, Niger. Reanalysis sources include the National Center for Environmental Prediction/ National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) and the European Centre for Medium Range Forecast (ECMWF) ERA-Interim.