Guatemala Climate
Top 5 Cities: Guatemala City, Mixco, Villa Nueva, Quetzaltenango, and Escuintla
This month in numbers
Guatemala experienced its 30th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 24.34°C, marking an anomaly of +0.9°C against the 1961–1990 baseline. The global land temperature for April 2026 was 14.96°C, ranking as the 2nd warmest April on record globally.
What changed
The three-month period from February to April 2026 saw Guatemala record its 7th warmest such period on record, with an average temperature of 23.71°C, an anomaly of +1.6°C. This warming trend in Guatemala aligns with the broader global picture, as global land temperatures for the same three-month period also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record. Guatemala's annual average temperature for 2025 was 24.23°C, making it the warmest year on record since 1941.
What’s driving change?
The warming trend in Guatemala is influenced by several factors, including the overarching global climate change and regional climate patterns. The country has been experiencing more unpredictable wet and dry seasons, with increased frequency and intensity of droughts and heavy rainfall. This has led to significant crop losses for subsistence farmers, particularly in the "Dry Corridor" region. Volcanic activity has also been notable, with both Fuego and Santiaguito volcanoes exhibiting ongoing eruptions and ashfall in recent months, which can have localized atmospheric impacts.
Looking ahead
The NOAA Climate Prediction Center has issued an El Niño Watch, with an 82% probability of El Niño emerging by May-July 2026 and a 96% probability of it persisting through winter 2026-27, which typically brings warmer and drier conditions to Guatemala, particularly in the "Dry Corridor" and can lead to a longer *canicula* or mid-rainy season dry spell, and reduced Atlantic hurricane activity.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Guatemala
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 Guatemala changing?
Guatemala 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 Guatemala come from?
Climate data for Guatemala 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 Guatemala climate data cover?
The Guatemala climate profile covers Guatemala City, Mixco, Villa Nueva, Quetzaltenango and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Guatemala
How often is the Guatemala climate update refreshed?
The Guatemala 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.