Peru Climate
Top 5 Cities: Lima, Arequipa, Trujillo, Chiclayo, and Cusco
This month in numbers
Peru experienced its 7th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 19.47°C, an anomaly of +1.0°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This follows a trend, as the February–April 2026 period also ranked as the 7th warmest on record, with an anomaly of +0.9°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
Peru's consistent warmth places it 176th out of 234 regions for the latest one-month anomaly and 209th for the three-month anomaly, indicating that while warm, other regions are experiencing even more significant temperature shifts. The country's 1-month anomaly of +1.00°C is 0.46°C warmer than the South America group average, making it the 3rd warmest within its regional group for April. The ongoing drought, which began in June 2023 and continues into May 2026, represents 100% of the drought events logged for Peru over the past 12 months, an unusual concentration.
What’s driving change?
The warming trend in Peru is significantly influenced by ENSO, with an El Niño Costero event active since February 2026 and projected to persist until November, potentially reaching moderate intensity around July. This localised warming of coastal sea surface temperatures off Peru's shoreline leads to increased evaporation and heavy rainfall in areas that are typically arid, a phenomenon described as the tropicalization of the coast. This has contributed to widespread flooding and landslides, with a landslide in Carabaya Province in April 2026 causing casualties and damage. The Peruvian government extended a state of emergency in 179 districts across 21 regions due to the imminent risk of heavy rainfall and associated hazards, a measure that came into force on April 6, 2026.
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC forecast indicates a high probability of El Niño continuing and strengthening in the coming months, with an 82% chance for May–July and a 98% chance for August–October, suggesting a continued likelihood of warmer and wetter conditions, particularly along the coast.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Peru
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 Peru changing?
Peru 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 Peru come from?
Climate data for Peru 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 Peru climate data cover?
The Peru climate profile covers Lima, Arequipa, Trujillo, Chiclayo and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Peru
How often is the Peru climate update refreshed?
The Peru 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.