Ghana received record 593.2mm of rain in June, highest monthly rainfall in history – Muntaka

Ghana recorded its wettest month in recorded history in June 2026, with total rainfall reaching an unprecedented 593.2 millimetres, according to the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka.

The Minister made the disclosure while briefing Parliament on Tuesday, June 30, on the devastating floods that swept through Greater Accra and other parts of the country, claiming lives, displacing thousands of residents and causing extensive damage to homes, businesses and public infrastructure.

According to Mr. Muntaka, data provided by the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) shows that although June is traditionally one of Ghana's rainiest months, this year's rainfall far surpassed every previous record.

Addressing lawmakers, the Interior Minister revealed that Ghana received a cumulative 593.2 millimetres of rainfall during June, making it the highest monthly rainfall ever documented in the country's meteorological records.

"For the month of June, we had a total of 593.2 millimetres of rainfall. It is the highest our country has ever received in its history in one month," Mr. Muntaka told Parliament.

He noted that the previous record was set in 2002, when Ghana recorded 420.6 millimetres of rainfall during June, while 2015 ranked next with 380.3 millimetres.

"The closest was in 2002 with 420.6 millimetres, and the other was in 2015 with 380.3 millimetres. I will make these statistics available to the House," he added.

The Interior Minister also disclosed that the heavy rains that fell on Monday, June 29, produced 169.2 millimetres of rainfall in a single day, making it the fourth-highest daily rainfall recorded in Ghana since 1995.

"In the month of June we normally expect a lot of rains. But what happened yesterday gave us 169.2 millimetres of rainfall, and this is the fourth largest volume of rainfall recorded in a single day since 1995," he said.

The exceptional downpour triggered widespread flooding across several communities, overwhelming drainage systems and disrupting transport, businesses, schools and other essential services.

While acknowledging the role of climate conditions, Mr. Muntaka said human activities significantly aggravated the impact of the floods.

He cited the indiscriminate disposal of refuse into drains, illegal construction on waterways and poor drainage maintenance as factors that reduced the capacity of drainage channels to carry stormwater.

However, he stressed that the sheer volume of rainfall experienced during the period meant that flooding would likely have occurred even if drainage systems had been functioning optimally.

The Interior Minister described the flooding as one of Ghana's most severe natural disasters in recent years and assured Parliament that government remains fully committed to supporting affected communities.

Emergency agencies, including the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ghana National Fire Service, the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces, continue search and rescue operations, damage assessments and the distribution of relief supplies to flood victims.

Government has also announced additional interventions, including emergency drainage clearance, flood mitigation projects and strengthened disaster preparedness measures to improve the country's resilience against future extreme weather events.

Authorities continue to urge residents to remain vigilant, avoid flood-prone areas and comply with safety directives as recovery efforts continue across affected communities.