Bhutan Climate
Top 5 Cities: Thimphu, Phuntsholing, Paro, Punakha, and Wangdue Phodrang
This month in numbers
Bhutan experienced its 7th warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 9.01°C, marking an anomaly of +1.4°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The global land temperature for April 2026 also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record, at 14.96°C, an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
The period of February to April 2026 was Bhutan's 4th warmest on record, with an average temperature of 6.12°C, an anomaly of +1.9°C. This continues a trend of warmer-than-average conditions, with all months from November 2025 to April 2026 showing positive temperature anomalies. For instance, January 2026 saw a significant anomaly of +3.9°C. Globally, the February to April 2026 period was the 2nd warmest on record for land temperatures. Bhutan's annual average temperature for 2025 was 9.18°C, making it the warmest year on record.
What’s driving change?
Bhutan's warming trend is influenced by the broader global warming, with the country experiencing a long-term trend of +1.24°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The in the Himalayas means that mountainous regions like Bhutan are warming faster than lowlands, exacerbated by retreating snow and a thinning atmosphere. This warming contributes to accelerated glacier melt, threatening Bhutan's vital river systems. Erratic rainfall patterns are also being observed, making agriculture more challenging and acting as a background stressor for rural migration.
Looking ahead
ENSO-neutral conditions are most likely to continue during the April to June 2026 season, with the probability of El Niño conditions increasing gradually thereafter.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
Loading climate data...
Data Sources
Data Sources for Bhutan
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 Bhutan changing?
Bhutan 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 Bhutan come from?
Climate data for Bhutan 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 Bhutan climate data cover?
The Bhutan climate profile covers Thimphu, Phuntsholing, Paro, Punakha and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Bhutan
How often is the Bhutan climate update refreshed?
The Bhutan 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.