Bhutan Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Thimphu, Phuntsholing, Paro, Punakha, and Wangdue Phodrang
Summary
Bhutan experienced exceptional summer warmth in July 2026, marking its 3rd warmest such period on record as the Himalayan kingdom saw monthly temperatures reach 1.8°C above historical baselines. Mountain valleys faced lingering heat during what is typically a humid monsoon period, continuing a broader sequence of elevated temperatures across the High Himalayas. Unusually warm conditions and sporadic rainfall are expected to persist through late summer.
This month in numbers
In July 2026, Bhutan recorded an average temperature of 16.36°C, which sits 1.8°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This stands as the 3rd warmest mark for the month in 87 years of records, surpassed only by the record high of 16.63°C set in 2025. On a global scale, July 2026 registered as the 3rd warmest month on record with a land temperature anomaly of +1.6°C.
What changed
Looking at the broader season, the May–July 2026 period averaged 14.47°C (+1.2°C anomaly), making it the 4th warmest such three-month span on record for Bhutan, just behind the record 14.83°C set in 2025. This reflects a persistent warming trajectory across the Eastern Himalayas, matching global land temperature trends where May–July 2026 ranked as the 2nd warmest such period on record (+1.5°C anomaly). Over the longer term, Bhutan's average annual temperature has increased by 1.36°C compared to its 1961–1990 baseline, culminating in 2025 as its warmest full year on record at 10.37°C.
What’s driving change?
Bhutan's accelerated warming is strongly influenced by , a mechanism that causes mountain regions to heat at faster rates than surrounding lowlands as atmospheric thinning and retreating snow cover alter heat retention. Additionally, surfaces, which intensifies thermal anomalies across landlocked Asian interiors. These conditions coincide with broader , leading to erratic rainfall patterns and warmer, drier spells across the mountain terrain during the typical summer monsoon.
Looking ahead
Seasonal forecasts indicate that above-normal temperatures and lighter or erratic monsoon rainfall are likely to persist across Bhutan through late summer and into early autumn.
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. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Bhutan
Köppen Cwb · TemperateBhutan has a temperate climate (Köppen Cwb: Subtropical highland), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. August is typically the warmest month, averaging 16.0°C, while January is the coldest at 1.3°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1565mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly precipitation.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Bhutan
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Bhutan
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Bhutan
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Bhutan
Latest month is provisional and may be revised by the data provider in the next update cycle.
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Bhutan
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Dwb · ContinentalBhutan has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±7.2°C) and a wet/dry cycle (54× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Aug (-118 mm, -30%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore 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.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
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 headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Bhutan?
Bhutan has a temperate climate (Köppen Cwb: Subtropical highland), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. August is typically the warmest month, averaging 16.0°C, while January is the coldest at 1.3°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1565mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
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.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Bhutan climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Bhutan climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.