Ecuador Climate
Top 5 Cities: Guayaquil, Quito, Cuenca, Ambato, and Portoviejo
This month in numbers
Ecuador experienced its 5th warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 21.92°C, marking an anomaly of +1.2°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. 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 also ranked as the 8th warmest on record for Ecuador, with temperatures 1°C above average.
What changed
The consistent warmth seen in April follows a trend of elevated temperatures throughout the past six months, with each month recording an anomaly of +0.9°C or higher. This sustained warmth in Ecuador aligns with a broader global pattern, as the global land temperature for the February–April 2026 period also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record. Ecuador's 1-month anomaly of +1.16°C places it 158th out of 234 regions globally, while its 3-month anomaly of +1.02°C ranks it 193rd.
What’s driving change?
Ecuador has been experiencing an unprecedented heat wave, particularly in its coastal (Litoral) region, with "felt" temperatures reaching around 40°C in early to mid-April. This extreme heat is occurring simultaneously with significant heavy rainfall, which has led to widespread floods and landslides across the country since January 2026. As of April 15, 2026, floods and landslides had resulted in 15 fatalities and affected over 110,000 people, damaging or destroying tens of thousands of homes and numerous bridges. By April 20, the death toll had risen to 17. The ongoing rainy season, which typically runs from December to May, has been particularly intense, increasing soil saturation and the likelihood of further flooding and slope failures. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but an El Niño is strongly forecast to develop from May-July 2026, with a 92% probability by June-August. Historically, El Niño events bring warmer and wetter conditions to coastal Peru and Ecuador, often leading to severe coastal flooding. ENSO tracker
Looking ahead
The strong forecast for an evolving El Niño phase suggests that warmer and wetter conditions are likely to persist in the coming months, potentially exacerbating the ongoing flood risk.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Ecuador
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 Ecuador changing?
Ecuador 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 Ecuador come from?
Climate data for Ecuador 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 Ecuador climate data cover?
The Ecuador climate profile covers Guayaquil, Quito, Cuenca, Ambato and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Ecuador
How often is the Ecuador climate update refreshed?
The Ecuador 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.