Nicaragua Climate
Top 5 Cities: Managua, León, Masaya, Matagalpa, and Chinandega
This month in numbers
Nicaragua experienced its 25th warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 26.7°C, which is 0.5°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The global land temperature for April 2026 was the 2nd warmest on record, at 14.96°C, an anomaly of +1.1°C. The three-month period from February to April 2026 was the 9th warmest on record for Nicaragua, with an average temperature of 26.11°C, marking a significant anomaly of +0.9°C compared to the baseline.
What changed
The recent three-month period (February–April 2026) in Nicaragua saw temperatures ranking as the 9th warmest in 86 years of records, indicating a sustained warming trend. This aligns with the broader regional picture, as 9 of the top 10 warmest 3-month anomalies globally were observed in US states, highlighting a striking concentration of heat in North America. Nicaragua's 1-month anomaly for April was 0.60°C cooler than the North America group average, placing it 5th warmest within its regional group.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in Nicaragua and the wider region is influenced by the ongoing shift towards El Niño conditions. The NOAA CPC forecast indicates an 82% probability of El Niño developing in May–July 2026, increasing to 98% by August–October 2026. Historically, El Niño phases during the June-August to September-November period typically bring warmer and drier conditions to Mexico and Central America, increasing the risk of drought and stressing crop and water supplies, particularly in the Central American Dry Corridor. Nicaragua has also experienced an unusual concentration of wildfire activity recently, with two events between May 5th and May 21st, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months, which is an unusual concentration. More information on active extreme weather events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The strong forecast for El Niño in the coming months suggests a continued likelihood of warmer and drier conditions for Nicaragua, potentially impacting the upcoming rainy season and increasing drought risk. The rainy season in Nicaragua typically begins in May and lasts through October, coinciding with the Atlantic and Pacific hurricane seasons. The 2026 Atlantic Hurricane season is predicted to be slightly below normal, with 13 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes expected. For further details on the evolving ENSO phase, visit ENSO tracker.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Nicaragua
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 Nicaragua changing?
Nicaragua 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 Nicaragua come from?
Climate data for Nicaragua 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 Nicaragua climate data cover?
The Nicaragua climate profile covers Managua, León, Masaya, Matagalpa and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Nicaragua
How often is the Nicaragua climate update refreshed?
The Nicaragua 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.