North Korea Climate
Top 5 Cities: Pyongyang, Hamhung, Chongjin, Nampo, and Wonsan
This month in numbers
North Korea experienced an April that was 1.6°C warmer than the 1961–1990 average, ranking as the 20th warmest April in 86 years of records. The three-month period from February to April 2026 also saw an anomaly of +1.6°C, making it the 22nd warmest such period on record. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C, just shy of the record set in April 2025.
What changed
The recent three-month period (February–April 2026) in North Korea was significantly warmer than average, continuing a trend of above-average temperatures seen in recent months. March 2026, for instance, was 3.1°C warmer than its historical average, and January 2026 was a striking 3.4°C above average. North Korea's annual average temperature for 2025 was 9°C, making it the warmest year on record. This regional warming aligns with a broader global trend, as the global land temperature for the February–April 2026 period also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in North Korea is occurring during a Neutral ENSO phase, though an El Niño is forecast to become the most likely state in the coming months, with a 61% probability for May-Jul 2026 and increasing thereafter. This evolving ENSO phase can influence global weather patterns, potentially bringing heat and drought to parts of Asia. North Korea has been grappling with an "unusual" and "severe" drought this year, a phenomenon rarely seen in previous years, according to state media in late April 2026. This drought is impacting early-season crops, and efforts are underway to protect them. The country's weak infrastructure and economy mean that natural disasters tend to have an outsized impact.
Looking ahead
The forecast for the coming months indicates a strong likelihood of an El Niño developing, which could bring further climatic shifts to the region.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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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 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 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.