4 Billion Years On

New Caledonia Climate

Top 5 Cities: Nouméa, Mont-Dore, Dumbéa, Paita, and Lifou

This month in numbers

New Caledonia experienced its 5th warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 24.49°C, a significant 1.6°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures, at 14.96°C, an anomaly of +1.1°C. The three-month period from February to April 2026 also ranked as the 9th warmest on record for New Caledonia, with an average temperature of 24.97°C, which is 1°C above the baseline.

What changed

The recent three-month period (February–April 2026) in New Caledonia saw temperatures consistently above average. This regional warming trend aligns with the global picture, as global land temperatures for the same three-month period ranked as the 2nd warmest on record, with an anomaly of +1.2°C. New Caledonia's 12-month rolling anomaly places it 208th out of 234 regions, indicating that while the region is warming, other areas globally are experiencing even more pronounced temperature increases.

What’s driving change?

The persistent warmth in New Caledonia is part of a broader trend of , where land masses heat up at a quicker rate than the surrounding oceans. Additionally, the influence of ENSO, specifically the transition from La Niña conditions, may be contributing to the observed temperature patterns. While no major extreme weather events were reported for New Caledonia in the last three months, a tropical storm with wind speeds up to 52 mph made landfall near Wala on March 23, 2026.

Looking ahead

Climate models suggest that La Niña conditions are expected to end this spring, transitioning to neutral ENSO conditions that may persist through the coming summer months.

Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources

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Data Sources

Data Sources for New Caledonia

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 New Caledonia changing?

New Caledonia 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 New Caledonia come from?

Climate data for New Caledonia 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 New Caledonia climate data cover?

The New Caledonia climate profile covers Nouméa, Mont-Dore, Dumbéa, Paita and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for New Caledonia

How often is the New Caledonia climate update refreshed?

The New Caledonia 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.