Crops · dekad 2026-07-21

Democratic Republic of the Congo

3 of 26 crop regions in Democratic Republic of the Congo are at their worst on record for this point in the season. Its highest in any previous year was 5, on a recent average of 0.92.

How bad is it, against this country’s own record

Five instruments read together our combination, not an observation

2nd worst of 26 years at this point in the season

The 2nd most stressed of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026, across 5 instruments read together

202620012026

What the instruments say

The canopy is in its worst third, as are water satisfaction and rainfall.

Each track is that instrument’s own 26 years, worst on the left.

Vegetation, cumulative-0.353rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.433rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction66%7th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.189th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature23.7 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Five instruments, each against its own 26 years for this point in the season. They are shown together because they disagree: across the regions on this site, roughly a quarter have vegetation at a record low while water or rainfall sits in its best third. This page reports where each one sits and does not say what caused what.

Every region of Democratic Republic of the Congo, worst to least

Each bar is the full spread of that region’s previous 25 years at this point in the season. The dot is this year. A dot at the left of a wide bar and a dot at the left of a narrow bar are different findings, which is why the history is drawn rather than described.

its normalworsebetterLualabaKinshasaNorth KivuSouth KivuS Kivu L.T.LomamiHaut-LomamiMai-NdombeBas-UeleTshopoKasai-CentralKasaiKongo-CentralHaut-KatangaHaut-UeleKwangoIturiTanganyikaKwiluTanganyika LNorth UbangiSouth UbangiMongalaManiema

Regions in colour are at their worst on record. The rest are placed on the same scale so a single deep region inside an otherwise ordinary country reads differently from a country where the whole distribution has moved.

Lualaba

-2.07 lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-2.08lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction7%19th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+1.0020th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature19.8 °C7th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Kinshasa

-1.70 3rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-2.052nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction53%6th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.726th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature23.6 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

North Kivu

-1.27 lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.585th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction72%7th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.65lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature17.7 °C2nd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

South Kivu

-0.92 2nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.536th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction74%8th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.816th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature18.8 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

S Kivu L.T.

-0.81 3rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.862nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction76%8th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.576th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture is not defined for this region at this point in the season.
Temperature25.7 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Lomami

-0.79 lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.84lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction20%11th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.9223rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature26.8 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Haut-Lomami

-0.67 3rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.692nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction28%23rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.6320th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature25.2 °C3rd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Mai-Ndombe

-0.61 4th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.834th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction80%9th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.0511th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature25.5 °C11th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Bas-Uele

-0.55 5th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.0414th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction100%13th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.2210th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture is not defined for this region at this point in the season.
Temperature25.1 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Tshopo

-0.47 8th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current+0.6424th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction100%10th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.409th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture is not defined for this region at this point in the season.
Temperature27.2 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Kasai-Central

-0.26 11th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-1.274th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction78%8th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.2514th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature26.6 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Kasai

-0.15 14th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.1413th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction24%13th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.2715th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature26.0 °C2nd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Kongo-Central

-0.12 8th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.682nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction70%2nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.444th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature22.4 °C12th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Haut-Katanga

-0.06 11th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.2310th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction65%23rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.0418th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature20.6 °C22nd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Haut-Uele

-0.03 13th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.772nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction93%10th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-2.06lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture is not defined for this region at this point in the season.
Temperature22.7 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Kwango

-0.01 15th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.189th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction48%11th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.6621st lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature23.4 °C22nd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Ituri

+0.02 12th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-1.35lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction80%2nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.86lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature20.3 °C2nd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Tanganyika

+0.04 16th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.0315th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction67%15th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.737th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature20.4 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Kwilu

+0.14 15th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, current+0.1517th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction19%5th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.5518th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature25.6 °C3rd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Tanganyika L

+0.14 14th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current-0.1811th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction75%12th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.557th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature23.3 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

North Ubangi

+0.18 17th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, current+0.1418th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction100%7th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.9422nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature25.2 °C2nd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

South Ubangi

+0.39 20th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current+0.7326th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction99%10th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+1.2426th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature25.0 °C3rd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Mongala

+0.44 18th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current+0.4120th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction100%lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.2916th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture is not defined for this region at this point in the season.
Temperature25.0 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Maniema

+0.63 19th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, current+0.8122nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction63%16th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.0313th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad yet.
Temperature26.5 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

This measurement is of the crop canopy and not of what stressed it: heat, drought, disease and late planting are not separable here, which is why no claim on this page names a cause.

Kristjan Lepik (2026). The Long Swell, Crops. thelongswell.com