Cambodia Climate
This month in numbers
Cambodia experienced an average temperature of 29.38°C in April 2026, marking an anomaly of +0.7°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This ranked as the 24th warmest April in 86 years of records for the country. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
The three-month period from February to April 2026 saw an average temperature of 28.56°C, an anomaly of +0.7°C, ranking as the 25th warmest such period in 86 years. Cambodia's temperature anomaly for the latest month (+0.72°C) placed it 200th out of 234 regions globally. For the three-month anomaly, Cambodia ranked 219th out of 234 regions, also with an anomaly of +0.72°C. In contrast, nine of the top ten warmest regions for the three-month anomaly were US states, indicating a striking geographic concentration of warming in that area.
What’s driving change?
Cambodia has been experiencing significant heat, with temperatures in April forecast to reach up to 41°C in several provinces, exceeding the average for the month and prompting health warnings. This extreme heat is exacerbated by and weak air circulation. The country is also experiencing an active drought, which has lasted for three months, from late January to late May 2026, representing 100% of the drought events logged for Cambodia over the past 12 months, an unusual concentration. This drought is part of a larger "Overall Green Drought for South-East Asia-2026" affecting several countries in the region. Additionally, the dry season in Cambodia is projected to become drier with maximum temperatures rising, potentially leading to water stress on wetlands. The dry-season water releases from over 50 Mekong River dams have also destroyed approximately 18% of natural ecosystems in Stung Treng province since 2018, artificially submerging riparian forests and threatening local communities.
Looking ahead
There is an 82% probability of El Niño conditions developing during May-to-July 2026, with risks expected to intensify through the second half of the year, which typically suppresses monsoon rainfall in Southeast Asia.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Cambodia
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 Cambodia changing?
Cambodia 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 Cambodia come from?
Climate data for Cambodia 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 Cambodia climate data cover?
Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Cambodia Cambodia climate profile with temperature anomalies, rainfall (CRU TS), warm/wet-season shift analysis, CO₂ emissions (Our World in Data) and electricity generation mix — all vs the 1961–1990 baseline..
How often is the Cambodia climate update refreshed?
The Cambodia 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.