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 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 an anomaly of +1°C.
What changed
The consistent warmth in Ecuador aligns with a broader trend of elevated temperatures. The country's latest full-year average temperature in 2025 was 21.81°C, making it the warmest year on record. This contributes to a long-term warming trend of +1.10°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. Ecuador's coastal provinces, in particular, have seen temperatures 2°C above average in April, with heat index values reaching around 40°C in some areas.
What’s driving change?
The current climate patterns in Ecuador are significantly influenced by the warming trend of , with the sea off Ecuador's coast experiencing temperatures 2°C above normal, contributing to increased heat and humidity. The ENSO state is currently Neutral, with a weekly Niño 3.4 SST anomaly of +0.9°C. However, forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of El Niño developing in the coming months, with a 61% chance in May-Jul and an 87% chance by July-Sep. Historically, El Niño events in coastal Peru and Ecuador bring warmer and wetter conditions, often leading to severe coastal flooding and impacts on fisheries.
Ecuador has also been grappling with significant extreme weather events. Since January 2026, the country has experienced over 2,300 weather-related adverse events, predominantly floods and landslides, which have resulted in 17 fatalities and affected over 110,000 people by late April. These persistent heavy rains have caused widespread damage to homes, infrastructure, and roads across multiple provinces, including Guayas, Los Ríos, El Oro, and Esmeraldas. Simultaneously, an "unprecedented" heatwave affected coastal Ecuador in April, with felt temperatures reaching up to 40°C, leading to power grid stress and blackouts due to increased air conditioning demand.
Looking ahead
Seasonal outlooks suggest that the warm sea temperatures off Ecuador's coast will continue to influence high temperatures in the coming months, particularly in Guayas, Los Ríos, and Manabí, with moderate rainfall expected in some areas.
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.