Chile Climate
Top 5 Cities: Santiago, Valparaíso, Concepción, La Serena, and Antofagasta
This month in numbers
Chile experienced its 23rd warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 9.71°C, an anomaly of +0.4°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The three-month period from February to April 2026 was the 14th warmest on record, with an average temperature of 11.85°C, an anomaly of +0.7°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C, while the February–April period also ranked as the 2nd warmest globally, with an anomaly of +1.2°C.
What changed
Chile's recent temperatures reflect a continued warming trend, with the latest three-month anomaly of +0.7°C being significantly higher than the long-term annual trend of +0.76°C since 1941. Compared to its South American neighbours, Chile's April anomaly of +0.39°C was cooler than the group average of +0.54°C, placing it 5th among the top movers in the region. Over the last 12 months, Chile ranks as the 3rd coolest globally for temperature anomaly, at +0.61°C.
What’s driving change?
The region has been significantly impacted by extreme weather events in recent months. Devastating wildfires tore through central and southern Chile in January 2026, claiming 23 lives and displacing thousands. These "fire weather" conditions, characterised by hot, dry, and windy weather, were made around three times more likely due to human-caused climate change, according to a rapid attribution study. Rainfall intensity during the fire season was also found to be 20-25% lower in the affected areas than it would have been without human-caused emissions. Additionally, heavy rainfall and strong winds affected northern Chile in late February, causing floods and displacing around 200 people in the Tarapacá, Antofagasta, and Atacama regions. These events highlight the influence of and ENSO, which can exacerbate drought conditions and increase fire risk.
Looking ahead
Seasonal outlooks suggest a continuation of warmer-than-average conditions in the coming months, consistent with the ongoing long-term warming trend.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Chile
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 Chile changing?
Chile 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 Chile come from?
Climate data for Chile 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 Chile climate data cover?
The Chile climate profile covers Santiago, Valparaíso, Concepción, La Serena and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Chile
How often is the Chile climate update refreshed?
The Chile 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.