Laos Climate
Top 5 Cities: Vientiane, Savannakhet, Pakse, Luang Prabang, and Thakhek
This month in numbers
Laos experienced a significantly warmer April 2026, with an average temperature of 25.43°C, marking an anomaly of +0.9°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This ranks as the 16th warmest April in 86 years of records. 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 saw elevated temperatures, averaging 23.3°C, which is +0.8°C above the baseline and ranks as the 23rd warmest such period on record.
What changed
The recent three-month period (February–April 2026) in Laos was notably warmer than average, continuing a trend of elevated temperatures. This aligns with the broader global picture, as global land temperatures for the same period ranked as the 2nd warmest on record. Laos's 12-month rolling anomaly of +1.08°C places it 203rd out of 234 regions globally, indicating that while warmer, it is not among the most extreme warming regions worldwide.
What’s driving change?
The warming trend in Laos is influenced by the broader global warming patterns, including the effect. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a weekly Niño 3.4 SST anomaly of +0.9°C as of April 29, 2026. However, forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of El Niño developing in the coming months, with a 61% chance for May-July and a 79% chance for June-August. El Niño conditions typically bring drier and warmer weather to Southeast Asia, which could exacerbate existing conditions. Laos has also been experiencing a drought since late January 2026, which represents 100% of the drought events logged for the country over the past 12 months, an unusual concentration for the season. Furthermore, in March 2026, a severe supercell storm with "tennis ball-sized" hailstones caused significant damage in Vientiane and northern provinces, described by meteorologists as one of the most intense convective storms in over half a century for the Mekong Valley. Extreme heat warnings were also issued across Laos in April 2026, with temperatures reaching up to 42°C in some areas, alongside scattered thunderstorms, lightning, hail, and strong winds. This period is also known as the "burning season" in Laos, which typically brings very hot, dry, and smoky conditions.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Laos
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 Laos changing?
Laos 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 Laos come from?
Climate data for Laos 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 Laos climate data cover?
The Laos climate profile covers Vientiane, Savannakhet, Pakse, Luang Prabang and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Laos
How often is the Laos climate update refreshed?
The Laos 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.