4 Billion Years On

Climate Rankings - April 2026

144 regions ranked by this month's temperature anomaly vs their 1961–1990 baseline - every country, US state and UK region we track.

Warmest this month

  1. 1.🇺🇿Uzbekistan+5.56°C
  2. 2.🇮🇷Iran+5.23°C
  3. 3.🇹🇲Turkmenistan+5.21°C
  4. 4.🇰🇿Kazakhstan+5.08°C
  5. 5.🇺🇸West Virginia+4.66°C

Coolest this month

  1. 234th🇺🇸North Dakota-1.22°C
  2. 233rd🇵🇾Paraguay-0.76°C
  3. 232nd🇺🇾Uruguay-0.71°C
  4. 231st🇦🇷Argentina-0.44°C
  5. 230th🇺🇸South Dakota-0.43°C

Monthly Cross-Region Analysis

Who led this month

Arizona experienced the single biggest temperature anomaly in March 2026, reaching a remarkable +7.80°C above its average. It was joined by Utah (+7.72°C) and Colorado (+7.21°C) in the top three warmest regions. All three of these regions are US states, located in the Western United States, and were significantly impacted by a persistent heat dome.

Biggest shifts

Alaska saw the most dramatic shift, plummeting to 144th place with a -5.93°C anomaly, making it the coldest region this month. This represents a significant drop in rank, indicating a sudden and severe cold snap. Conversely, many US states climbed significantly due to widespread record-breaking warmth. For instance, ten US states recorded their warmest March on record, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

Regional patterns

The warmth this month was heavily concentrated in the US, with all of the top 10 warmest regions being US states. The US Census region roll-ups clearly reflect this, with the West averaging +4.91°C, the South +4.42°C, and the Midwest +4.22°C, all significantly warmer than the Northeast at +2.30°C. Globally, Europe was the warmest continent with a mean anomaly of +2.62°C, followed by Asia at +1.89°C.

What’s driving change?

The extreme warmth across the Western and Southern United States in March 2026 was primarily driven by a strong, slow-moving high-pressure system, commonly referred to as a heat dome. This heat dome led to temperatures 11-17°C (20-30°F) above average in parts of California, Nevada, and Arizona, shattering numerous daily and all-time March heat records. Conversely, Alaska experienced its fourth-coldest March on record, with severe cold and powerful storms affecting communities statewide, largely due to a pronounced and highly anomalous ridge over the western Bering Sea bringing frigid, northerly wind flows from the Arctic Ocean. The global climate is currently in an ENSO-neutral state, though a transition to El Niño is expected in the coming months, which could further amplify global temperatures.

Sources:

climatecentral.org ↗noaa.gov ↗climatecentral.org ↗preventionweb.net ↗theclimateadaptationcenter.org ↗theguardian.com ↗

Generated by Gemini from the ranking data above and web sources · 23 April 2026

Biggest movers since last month

Rank changes on the 1-month anomaly league table between the previous snapshot (2026-04) and this one (2026-05).

Climbed the most (relatively warmer this month)

  1. 🇰🇼Kuwait206 → 26+180
  2. 🇶🇦Qatar201 → 33+168
  3. 🇦🇫Afghanistan169 → 8+161
  4. 🇲🇦Morocco223 → 70+153
  5. 🇺🇸Alaska234 → 87+147

Dropped the most (relatively cooler this month)

  1. 🇺🇸South Dakota23 → 230-207
  2. 🇧🇬Bulgaria31 → 229-198
  3. 🇺🇸Montana39 → 225-186
  4. 🇹🇷Turkey42 → 213-171
  5. 🇺🇸Idaho25 → 186-161

Roll-ups by Group

Window

By Continent

Asia +2.65°C
Europe +2.64°C
Africa +1.34°C
North America (6)· agg+1.12°C
Oceania +0.55°C
South America (8)· agg+0.54°C

By US Climate Region

Southwest +7.38°C
West +7.10°C
South +5.55°C
Ohio Valley +4.89°C
Northern Rockies and Plains +4.84°C
Southeast +3.71°C
Northwest +3.60°C
Upper Midwest +3.17°C
Northeast +2.61°C

By Region Type

UK Regions (16)+2.31°C
US States (49)+2.29°C
Countries (169)+1.67°C

Climate Map – Global

Window

Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Temperature anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.

Full League Table

Filter:
#
1Uzbekistan+5.56+4.00+1.97
2Iran+5.23+3.21+2.43
3Turkmenistan+5.21+3.31+1.74
4Kazakhstan+5.08+4.65+2.36
5West Virginia+4.66+3.20+1.44
6Kentucky+4.51+3.73+1.71
7Ohio+4.49+3.23+1.25
8Afghanistan+4.47+2.54+1.98
9Indiana+4.40+3.76+1.48
10Virginia+3.98+2.84+1.26
11Tennessee+3.86+3.73+1.83
12United Arab Emirates+3.84+2.62+2.28
13Missouri+3.78+4.43+2.08
14Pakistan+3.77+2.64+1.87
15Illinois+3.75+3.97+1.81
16Mongolia+3.75+2.60+2.62
17Pennsylvania+3.73+2.46+0.99
18Russia+3.62+3.55+3.04
19Maryland+3.56+2.32+1.07
20Saudi Arabia+3.56+1.94+2.37
21Switzerland+3.55+3.06+2.47
22Austria+3.51+3.03+2.80
23Denmark+3.49+2.84+2.11
24Belgium+3.41+2.39+1.77
25Iraq+3.34+1.70+1.90
26Kuwait+3.32+1.06+1.61
27Arkansas+3.31+4.21+2.17
28Lithuania+3.29+3.64+3.44
29Poland+3.28+2.87+2.88
30Sweden+3.24+4.03+2.88
31Iceland+3.24+3.69+1.65
32North Carolina+3.20+2.57+1.15
33Qatar+3.17+1.60+1.73
34Czechia+3.11+2.26+2.38
35Netherlands+3.10+2.11+1.78
36Mali+3.08+2.73+1.83
37Mauritania+3.04+1.58+1.47
38Germany+3.02+2.23+2.11
39Kansas+3.02+4.81+2.26
40Delaware+3.01+1.84+0.97
41Luxembourg+2.96+2.17+1.77
42Belarus+2.95+3.62+3.56
43Latvia+2.95+3.64+3.48
44Oklahoma+2.91+4.99+2.31
45Tajikistan+2.88+2.15+1.85
46United Kingdom+2.84+2.34+1.44
47Kyrgyzstan+2.84+2.39+1.70
48East Anglia+2.79+2.96+2.24
49Mississippi+2.75+3.76+2.11
50Bosnia and Herzegovina+2.74+2.94+3.06
51England SE & Central South+2.73+3.13+2.20
52Algeria+2.70+2.33+2.61
53New Jersey+2.69+1.60+0.94
54Estonia+2.66+3.79+3.54
55England South+2.65+2.97+2.17
56New York+2.65+1.62+0.87
57France+2.65+1.88+1.51
58England+2.63+2.86+2.12
59Slovakia+2.63+2.40+2.63
60Midlands+2.61+2.89+2.17
61China+2.59+1.78+2.05
62England and Wales+2.59+2.80+2.06
63England SW & South Wales+2.59+2.86+1.95
64Slovenia+2.58+2.31+2.35
65Norway+2.53+4.33+3.60
66Oman+2.52+1.95+1.52
67Texas+2.48+4.53+2.64
68Greenland+2.48+2.83+1.42
69Croatia+2.47+2.29+2.61
70Morocco+2.45+1.28+1.87
71Ireland+2.44+2.03+0.99
72New Mexico+2.44+4.61+2.81
73Syria+2.43+1.86+2.17
74Wales+2.39+2.62+1.83
75Louisiana+2.37+3.52+1.94
76England East & North East+2.35+2.60+2.07
77South Carolina+2.35+2.25+1.06
78England North+2.34+2.57+1.98
79Arizona+2.32+4.76+2.91
80Spain+2.32+1.57+1.74
81England NW & North Wales+2.31+2.47+1.78
82Georgia+2.30+2.63+1.37
83Iowa+2.28+3.94+1.94
84Yemen+2.28+2.00+2.29
85Jordan+2.25+1.19+1.83
86Alabama+2.20+2.99+1.55
87Alaska+2.12-1.20+0.33
88Italy+2.11+2.15+2.19
89Eritrea+2.07+1.45+1.39
90Connecticut+2.04+1.02+0.89
91Madagascar+2.03+1.37+1.54
92Tunisia+2.03+2.40+2.61
93Montenegro+1.99+2.19+2.45
94Vermont+1.98+1.25+0.99
95Michigan+1.97+2.29+1.22
96Lebanon+1.93+1.35+2.09
97Scotland East+1.92+2.05+1.64
98United States+1.90+2.19+1.88
99New Zealand+1.90+1.33+1.00
100Scotland North+1.89+1.62+1.38
101Scotland+1.88+1.80+1.50
102Rhode Island+1.88+0.76+0.85
103Portugal+1.86+1.25+1.28
104New Hampshire+1.84+1.08+0.97
105Finland+1.84+3.91+3.25
106Hungary+1.83+1.35+1.93
107Wisconsin+1.81+3.10+1.59
108Colorado+1.80+4.66+2.81
109Armenia+1.80+2.12+1.58
110Ukraine+1.79+2.65+3.21
111Burkina Faso+1.79+2.10+1.26
112Massachusetts+1.76+0.88+0.82
113Oregon+1.76+2.60+2.37
114Palestine+1.75+1.20+1.78
115Ethiopia+1.74+1.73+1.64
116Benin+1.73+1.86+1.40
117South Sudan+1.71+2.25+2.29
118Azerbaijan+1.71+1.66+1.44
119Israel+1.70+1.23+1.94
120Scotland West+1.67+1.74+1.46
121Utah+1.66+4.63+3.27
122Washington+1.61+1.51+2.05
123Senegal+1.61+0.68+0.82
124North Korea+1.60+1.64+2.32
125Northern Ireland+1.59+1.68+1.49
126New Caledonia+1.58+1.00+1.02
127Djibouti+1.57+1.38+1.69
128Ghana+1.55+1.52+1.49
129South Korea+1.53+1.26+2.03
130Florida+1.51+1.48+1.23
131Canada+1.51+1.23+2.71
132Burundi+1.50+1.80+1.92
133Rwanda+1.47+2.01+2.19
134Bhutan+1.44+1.89+2.06
135Central African Republic+1.42+1.98+1.71
136Serbia+1.42+1.87+2.30
137Gambia+1.41+0.84+0.99
138Sudan+1.38+1.17+1.53
139Zimbabwe+1.34+1.15+1.74
140California+1.33+3.55+2.29
141Uganda+1.32+2.21+2.04
142Mozambique+1.31+1.17+1.53
143Nebraska+1.30+4.40+2.62
144Nigeria+1.29+1.53+1.14
145Mexico+1.29+2.09+2.01
146Fiji+1.29+1.00+0.97
147Togo+1.29+1.55+1.46
148DR Congo+1.28+1.85+2.04
149Kosovo+1.23+1.77+2.17
150Japan+1.21+1.25+1.85
151Nepal+1.20+1.66+1.80
152El Salvador+1.19+1.72+1.39
153Vanuatu+1.19+0.85+0.83
154Cameroon+1.18+1.69+1.56
155Nevada+1.17+3.84+2.81
156Zambia+1.17+1.31+1.17
157Albania+1.16+1.84+2.15
158Ecuador+1.16+1.02+1.37
159Equatorial Guinea+1.16+1.47+1.66
160Tanzania+1.15+1.50+1.28
161Moldova+1.12+2.28+2.88
162Jamaica+1.11+1.50+1.67
163Wyoming+1.10+4.33+3.12
164Congo+1.10+1.36+1.59
165Cote d'Ivoire+1.09+1.23+1.28
166Brazil+1.08+1.00+1.24
167Malawi+1.07+1.01+1.13
168Chad+1.06+1.63+1.52
169Maine+1.05+0.98+1.00
170Egypt+1.04+0.96+2.02
171Papua New Guinea+1.04+1.32+1.40
172Philippines+1.03+1.14+1.34
173Colombia+1.03+0.77+1.27
174Romania+1.03+1.68+2.41
175Kenya+1.02+1.14+1.43
176Peru+1.00+0.90+1.43
177Sierra Leone+1.00+1.28+1.27
178Brunei+0.97+1.16+1.47
179Gabon+0.96+1.25+1.47
180Indonesia+0.92+1.19+1.43
181Liberia+0.91+1.19+1.31
182Guinea+0.90+1.23+1.29
183Laos+0.90+0.75+1.08
184Libya+0.90+1.78+2.50
185Niger+0.89+2.32+1.61
186Idaho+0.88+3.15+2.74
187Guatemala+0.86+1.63+1.95
188Haiti+0.85+1.31+1.52
189Lesotho+0.84+1.27+1.70
190India+0.83+1.17+1.10
191Solomon Islands+0.83+0.99+1.14
192Dominican Republic+0.82+1.22+1.49
193Trinidad and Tobago+0.80+0.91+1.35
194Guinea-Bissau+0.79+0.72+0.97
195Venezuela+0.78+1.22+1.48
196Georgia+0.75+1.02+1.20
197Malaysia+0.73+0.93+1.34
198Somalia+0.72+0.77+1.20
199Bahamas+0.72+1.09+1.10
200Cambodia+0.72+0.72+1.13
201Vietnam+0.70+0.42+0.97
202Angola+0.68+0.99+1.27
203Eswatini+0.64+0.80+1.21
204Panama+0.61+0.59+1.00
205Puerto Rico+0.61+0.95+1.44
206Bolivia+0.60+1.02+1.51
207Myanmar+0.57+1.21+1.43
208Cuba+0.55+1.02+1.17
209South Africa+0.53+0.97+1.42
210Greece+0.53+1.17+1.88
211East Timor+0.53+0.93+0.79
212Nicaragua+0.52+0.93+1.26
213Turkey+0.48+1.12+1.79
214Belize+0.47+1.25+1.63
215Honduras+0.46+1.28+1.61
216Namibia+0.42+0.84+1.50
217Bangladesh+0.41+0.68+1.16
218Costa Rica+0.40+0.60+0.92
219Chile+0.39+0.69+0.61
220Cyprus+0.38+0.55+1.38
221Thailand+0.38+0.60+1.06
222Guyana+0.34+0.41+1.27
223Suriname+0.33+0.34+1.24
224Australia+0.32+1.34+1.33
225Montana+0.31+3.08+2.64
226Sri Lanka+0.27+0.62+0.88
227Botswana+0.03+0.23+1.17
228Minnesota-0.10+2.56+1.79
229Bulgaria-0.10+1.04+1.94
230South Dakota-0.43+3.55+2.22
231Argentina-0.44+1.03+0.81
232Uruguay-0.71+0.70+0.36
233Paraguay-0.76+1.07+1.44
234North Dakota-1.22+2.48+1.84

All anomalies vs 1961–1990 baseline. 234 regions total.

Methodology & Baselines

Anomaly = monthly mean temperature − 1961–1990 mean for the same calendar month. The 12-month figure is the trailing 12-month mean minus the 12-month baseline. Country data is from Our World in Data / NOAA; UK regions from the Met Office Regional Series; US states & climate regions from NOAA Climate at a Glance. NOAA values are re-baselined from their native 1901–2000 to 1961–1990 for cross-region comparison; the source-native figure is shown alongside for verification.

See the full methodology & data sources page for the complete two-baseline model, source timeline and known caveats.

FAQs

FAQs

How are the climate rankings calculated?

Each region is scored by its temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline for the same calendar period. The 1-month figure uses the most recent complete month; the 3-month figure uses a trailing 3-month mean; the 12-month figure uses a trailing 12-month mean. A higher positive anomaly means the region was warmer than its 1961-1990 average for that period.

Why is the 1961-1990 baseline used?

The 1961-1990 baseline is widely used by the IPCC and national meteorological agencies for cross-region comparisons. NOAA datasets that natively use 1901-2000 are re-baselined to 1961-1990 so countries, US states and UK regions can be compared on equal terms; the source-native figure is shown alongside for verification.

Which regions are included in the rankings?

Every country, US state, UK home nation, UK region, continent and US climate region for which a complete monthly time series is available. The current count is shown on the rankings page.

How often do the rankings update?

Rankings refresh every 24 hours via a Vercel Cron job that runs at 03:00 UTC and pulls in any new monthly data released by NOAA, the Met Office, Berkeley Earth and OWID since the previous run.

Where can I see the full methodology?

The Methodology & Sources gives the complete two-baseline model, source timeline and known caveats.