Puerto Rico Climate
Top 5 Cities: San Juan, Bayamón, Carolina, Ponce, and Caguas
This month in numbers
Puerto Rico experienced its 10th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 24.92°C, an anomaly of +0.6°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The period of February to April 2026 was the 3rd warmest on record for Puerto Rico, with an average temperature of 24.78°C, 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, and the February–April period also ranked as the 2nd warmest globally for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.2°C.
What changed
Puerto Rico has seen consistently warmer-than-average temperatures over the past six months, with anomalies ranging from +0.6°C in April to +1.5°C in December 2025. The island's long-term warming trend is +0.69°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline, and 2025 was the warmest year on record. While Puerto Rico's latest monthly temperature anomaly places it 205th out of 234 regions globally, the broader pattern of warming is consistent with global trends, as evidenced by the global land temperature rankings.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in Puerto Rico is influenced by the broader trend of . Additionally, the region experienced elevated heat risk in April, with heat indices reaching or exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit in urban and coastal areas due to a southerly wind flow and high humidity. While the current ENSO state is Neutral, the NOAA CPC forecast indicates a strong likelihood of El Niño developing in the coming months, with an 82% chance for May–July and increasing to 98% by August–October. El Niño typically brings drier conditions to the Caribbean and Atlantic basin during the hurricane season, and suppresses Atlantic hurricane activity. ENSO tracker
Looking ahead
The NOAA Climate Prediction Center's outlook suggests a high probability of above-normal temperatures persisting in Puerto Rico through the spring.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Puerto Rico
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 Puerto Rico changing?
Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico come from?
Climate data for Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico climate data cover?
The Puerto Rico climate profile covers San Juan, Bayamón, Carolina, Ponce and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Puerto Rico
How often is the Puerto Rico climate update refreshed?
The Puerto Rico 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.