Malaysia Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Ipoh, Kuching, George Town, and Singapore
This month in numbers
Malaysia experienced its 8th warmest June on record, with an average temperature of 26.29°C, marking an anomaly of +1.1°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The April–June 2026 period was also notably warm, ranking as the 12th warmest on record with an anomaly of +1°C. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1°C, while the April–June period ranked as the 2nd warmest globally, also with a +1°C anomaly.
What changed
The past three months have seen consistently above-average temperatures across Malaysia, with May and June both recording anomalies of +1.1°C. This trend aligns with the national long-term warming trend of +1.23°C since the 1961–1990 baseline. Malaysia's 1-month anomaly for June placed it 132nd out of 234 regions globally, indicating widespread warming beyond just this region. The country has also been grappling with a severe dry spell, with temperatures soaring to 37.5°C in some areas, and a significant increase in bush fires, with over 13,000 recorded in the first four months of 2026, nearly double the total for all of 2025. Additionally, a violent convective windstorm struck Ipoh, Perak, on June 19, 2026, causing widespread damage.
What’s driving change?
The persistent heat and drier conditions in Malaysia are primarily driven by the El Niño phenomenon, which is currently in a weak phase but is forecast to strengthen significantly. El Niño typically brings warmer and drier weather to Maritime Southeast Asia, a teleconnection that is considered one of the most reliable worldwide. The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has warned that this El Niño could persist until early 2027, coinciding with the Southwest Monsoon season and potentially leading to reduced rainfall, water shortages, and an increased risk of forest and peatland fires, as well as haze episodes. The effect further exacerbates warming in arid regions, as dry soils cannot cool themselves through evaporation.
Looking ahead
A Super El Niño is forecast to develop and peak between November 2026 and January 2027, with MetMalaysia warning that daily temperatures in Malaysia could reach up to 40°C in early 2027, particularly in the northern states and inland areas.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Malaysia
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Malaysia – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – Malaysia
Our World in Data / NOAA - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Weakly seasonalKöppen Af · TropicalMalaysia is weakly seasonal - temperature barely changes across the year (1.4°C range) and rainfall is fairly even. The clearest climate signal here is overall warming: monthly temperature has risen in every month.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Jan (+1.8°C).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Rainfall & Precipitation
Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals
Headline: anomaly vs the 1961–1990 mean. Small figure: the actual value. Rank: position in the full record (1st = highest ever). Record: highest (or lowest) value on record with its year.
Climate Systems
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Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Malaysia
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 Malaysia changing?
Malaysia 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 headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Malaysia come from?
Climate data for Malaysia 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 Malaysia climate data cover?
The Malaysia climate profile covers Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Ipoh, Kuching and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Malaysia
How often is the Malaysia climate update refreshed?
The Malaysia 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.