North Korea Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Pyongyang, Hamhung, Chongjin, Nampo, and Wonsan
This month in numbers
North Korea experienced its warmest June on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 19.86°C, marking an anomaly of +2.5°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This makes June 2026 the 1st warmest June in 86 years of records. Globally, June 2026 also ranked as the 3rd warmest June for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1°C.
What changed
The April–June 2026 period saw an average temperature of 13.89°C, an anomaly of +1.5°C, ranking it as the 7th warmest such period on record for North Korea. This continues a trend of warmer conditions, with the country's long-term trend showing a warming of +1.67°C against the 1961–1990 baseline. North Korea's June anomaly of +2.52°C placed it 45th globally out of 234 regions for the latest month's temperature anomaly. Within Asia, North Korea was the 5th warmest country in June, with its anomaly being 0.95°C warmer than the group average.
What’s driving change?
North Korea has been experiencing a severe and unusual drought since at least April 2026, which continued through June. This dry soil amplification likely contributed to the exceptionally high temperatures recorded. State media reported efforts to protect crops and expand dry-field rice cultivation due to the drought conditions. Additionally, a heatwave was building across the Korean Peninsula in late May and early June, with satellite data showing significant heat stress in Pyongyang, particularly in densely built urban areas, indicating an effect. The return of El Niño this year is also a factor, as it can bring heat and drought to parts of Asia.
Looking ahead
North Korea is bracing for heavy rainfall and potential floods in the coming weeks, with warnings issued for "disastrous" conditions as the monsoon season intensifies.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – North Korea
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.
North Korea – 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 – North Korea
Our World in Data / NOAA - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Dwb · ContinentalNorth Korea has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±16.7°C) and a wet/dry cycle (16× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly rainfall climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Aug (+57 mm, +27%).
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.
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for North Korea
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 North Korea changing?
North Korea 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 North Korea come from?
Climate data for North Korea 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 North Korea climate data cover?
The North Korea climate profile covers Pyongyang, Hamhung, Chongjin, Nampo and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for North Korea
How often is the North Korea climate update refreshed?
The North Korea 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.