Tunisia experiences extreme winter 2025-2026 with record rainfall and historic heat
via Business News4 min read
Tunisia's winter of 2025-2026 was marked by significant climatic contrasts, including floods in January, strong winds at the end of the month, and unusually high temperatures in February, according to a bulletin published by the National Institute of Meteorology INM on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The national average temperature for the winter was 13.7 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees Celsius above the seasonal normal, with all regions recording higher-than-average temperatures. February 2026 was the warmest February recorded in Tunisia since 1950, with monthly average temperatures exceeding climatological normals across all 26 national stations. This unusual warmth was accompanied by low precipitation, creating exceptionally hot and dry conditions for a winter period. In contrast, January 2026 was exceptionally rainy, with national rainfall totals reaching 2,453.4 millimeters, more than double the usual values of 1,118.1 millimeters. Major rainfall events occurred on January 19 and 20, 2026, with several stations recording daily records, including 84 millimeters in Tunis and 143.6 millimeters in Monastir on January 19. New monthly records were also set in January, such as 299.1 millimeters in Nabeul and 254.8 millimeters in Tunis. While northern and coastal cities experienced abundant rainfall, southern and southeastern regions faced a pronounced rainfall deficit. Additionally, an intense windy episode occurred between January 28 and 31, 2026, with gusts reaching 129.6 km/h in Ka
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