Asia Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Countries: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and Pakistan
This month in numbers
Asia experienced a significantly warmer-than-average June 2026, with a 1-month anomaly of +1.75°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The warming trend extends to the longer term, with the 3-month anomaly at +1.83°C and the 12-month rolling anomaly at +1.80°C. Globally, June 2026 was the second-warmest June on record.
Hottest & coolest countries
Several countries across Asia saw unusually high temperatures in June. Saudi Arabia led the region with an anomaly of +2.58°C, followed closely by the United Arab Emirates at +2.22°C and Iran at +2.21°C. These nations, along with Iraq, experienced a persistent heatwave that began in mid-May and is expected to continue throughout the summer. In contrast, Pakistan recorded the coolest anomaly at +0.53°C, though still warmer than the long-term average.
What's driving change?
The current climate pattern is significantly influenced by a strong El Niño event, with the NOAA ONI 3-month anomaly for April-June 2026 at +0.98°C, and a 100% probability of El Niño conditions persisting through the end of the year. This El Niño is contributing to the observed warming across Asia. Additionally, the region is experiencing the impacts of , with India, for example, recording nearly 40% below-average rainfall in June, making it one of the driest Junes since 1901. Humid heatwaves, a consequence of human-caused climate change, are also pushing human body limits, particularly in Southeast Asia.
Looking ahead
Seasonal forecasts indicate that El Niño conditions are very likely to persist in the coming months, suggesting continued warmer-than-average temperatures across much of Asia.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Temperature anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Hottest & Coolest in Asia this Month
1-month anomaly vs 1961–1990 across the 23 members we cover. Click a name to open its profile.
Warmest
- 1.🇸🇦Saudi Arabia+2.58°C
- 2.🇦🇪United Arab Emirates+2.22°C
- 3.🇮🇷Iran+2.21°C
- 4.🇮🇶Iraq+2.08°C
- 5.🇻🇳Vietnam+1.62°C
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Asia
4byo continent aggregate · equal-weight mean of member country monthly absolute temperatures (OWID/CRU TS).
Asia – Monthly Temperature – All Years
4byo continent aggregate · equal-weight mean of member country monthly absolute temperatures (OWID/CRU TS).
Records – Asia
4byo continent aggregate · equal-weight mean of member country monthly absolute temperatures (OWID/CRU TS). - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Cfa · TemperateHow spring and autumn have shifted in Asia. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (19.3°C, from 1940–1969); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 15.3°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Mar (+2.0°C).
4byo continent aggregate · OWID/CRU TS country monthly temperatures & rainfall. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Climate Systems
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Emissions & Energy
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Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Asia
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Continental land temperature anomaly. NOAA NCEI national & continental time series.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Asia changing?
Asia is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Asia come from?
Climate data for Asia comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Asia climate data cover?
The Asia climate profile covers China, India, Indonesia, Japan and surrounding areas. The world's largest landmass - temperature trends across the continent
How often is the Asia climate update refreshed?
The Asia climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.