Bangladesh Climate
Top 5 Cities: Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Sylhet
This month in numbers
April 2026 saw Bangladesh record an average temperature of 28.18°C, an anomaly of +0.4°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline, ranking as the 34th warmest April in 86 years of records. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C. The three-month period from February to April 2026 registered an average temperature of 25.47°C, an anomaly of +0.7°C, making it the 20th warmest such period on record.
What changed
Bangladesh's recent temperatures reflect a broader warming trend, with the country's long-term average temperature showing an increase of +0.73°C against the 1961–1990 baseline. The past three months have been notably warmer than average, contributing to the ongoing climate shift. While Bangladesh experienced a relatively cooler April compared to many other regions, ranking 217th out of 234 for its one-month anomaly, the global land temperature for the same month was the second warmest on record. The country also saw an unusually wet April, with 75.7% more rainfall than normal, making it the wettest April in the past five years. This unseasonal rainfall led to urban flooding and increased the risk of flash floods in northeastern districts.
What’s driving change?
The developing El Niño phenomenon is a significant driver of changing weather patterns in Bangladesh. Forecasters indicate a high probability of El Niño forming and persisting through the end of 2026, with a 98% chance by August-September-October. El Niño typically brings warmer and drier conditions to India and surrounding regions, including Bangladesh, often leading to a weaker southwest summer monsoon and an increased risk of heatwaves and drought. This aligns with the mild to moderate heatwaves experienced across various parts of Bangladesh in April. Conversely, the unusually wet April, with frequent thunderstorms and intense downpours, is attributed to warmer air holding more moisture due to above-normal sea surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal, intensifying evaporation and moisture accumulation. Bangladesh also experienced a flood event from May 13-15, 2026, which represents 100% of the annual total for floods in the past 12 months, an unusual concentration. More information on extreme weather events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The strong forecast for El Niño suggests that Bangladesh is likely to experience a drier monsoon season and continued heatwaves in the coming months, potentially leading to low rainfall, prolonged dry spells, or even drought.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Bangladesh
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.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Bangladesh changing?
Bangladesh 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 trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Bangladesh come from?
Climate data for Bangladesh 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 Bangladesh climate data cover?
The Bangladesh climate profile covers Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Bangladesh
How often is the Bangladesh climate update refreshed?
The Bangladesh 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.