Nicaragua Climate
Top 5 Cities: Managua, León, Masaya, Matagalpa, and Chinandega
This month in numbers
Nicaragua experienced its 9th warmest February–April on record, with an average temperature of 26.11°C, a significant +0.9°C anomaly compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. April 2026 itself was the 25th warmest April on record, at 26.7°C, marking a +0.5°C anomaly. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C, closely following the record set in April 2025. The February–April 2026 period also ranked as the 2nd warmest globally for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.2°C.
What changed
The consistent warmth over the past three months in Nicaragua aligns with a broader long-term warming trend for the country, which has seen an increase of +0.90°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The year 2025 was the warmest on record for Nicaragua, at 26.44°C. Nicaragua's April anomaly of +0.52°C placed it 215th out of 234 regions globally, indicating that while warm, other regions experienced even more pronounced heat. Notably, all of the top 10 warmest 1-month anomalies globally were concentrated in US states.
What’s driving change?
The warming trend in Nicaragua is influenced by the broader phenomenon of . The current ENSO state is Neutral, with an anomaly of +0.11°C for February–April 2026. However, forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of El Niño emerging from May–July 2026 (61% chance) and persisting through at least the end of the year, with an even higher probability of 87% for July–September 2026. El Niño typically brings warmer and drier conditions to Mexico and Central America during the rainy season (May-October), increasing the risk of drought and stressing water supplies and crops in the Central American Dry Corridor. Nicaragua's rainy season typically begins in May and can bring heavy rainfall, landslides, and floods. Towards the end of April 2026, Nicaragua experienced increased rainfall and potential flooding in several provinces, driven by high humidity and a trough. There have also been reports of ongoing forest fires, with 24 non-high confidence alerts in Managua during April 2026 and early May 2026.
Looking ahead
With an El Niño phase strongly forecast to emerge and persist through the coming months, Nicaragua should prepare for a potentially warmer and drier rainy season, increasing the risk of drought.
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.