Nepal Climate
Top 5 Cities: Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lalitpur, Bharatpur, and Birgunj
This month in numbers
Nepal experienced its 13th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 15.23°C, marking an anomaly of +1.2°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures on record, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
The period of February–April 2026 was Nepal's 5th warmest on record, with an average temperature of 11.39°C, an anomaly of +1.7°C. This continues a trend of warmer conditions, with the latest full-year average temperature for 2025 being 14.04°C, making it the 2nd warmest year on record for Nepal. Globally, the February–April 2026 period was also the 2nd warmest on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.2°C.
What’s driving change?
The warming trend in Nepal is influenced by several factors, including , where mountainous regions experience more pronounced temperature increases. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but a strong El Niño is forecast to develop from May-July 2026 onwards, with a 98% probability by August-October 2026. Historically, El Niño conditions in South Asia are associated with warmer and drier conditions, often leading to a weaker southwest summer monsoon and an increased risk of drought. Nepal has also experienced a "hydrological paradox" in recent months, with catastrophic flooding in the high Himalayas occurring simultaneously with acute drought in the southern plains, as seen in February 2026 with a supraglacial lake outburst in Tibet causing floods down the Bhotekoshi River, while the southern plains faced a fourth consecutive rainless winter. This highlights the impact of and erratic rainfall patterns.
Looking ahead
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has forecast below-normal monsoon rainfall and hotter temperatures across most parts of Nepal for the upcoming monsoon season, with a significant risk of localised extreme weather events despite the drier overall forecast.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Nepal
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 Nepal changing?
Nepal 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 Nepal come from?
Climate data for Nepal 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 Nepal climate data cover?
The Nepal climate profile covers Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lalitpur, Bharatpur and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Nepal
How often is the Nepal climate update refreshed?
The Nepal 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.