South America Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Countries: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, and Chile
Data for Continents is averaged from country snapshots. See Methodology.
This month in numbers
South America experienced a significantly warm June 2026, with a 1-month anomaly of +1.14°C compared to the 1961–1990 average. The warming trend is also evident in the longer-term figures, with a 3-month anomaly of +0.79°C and a 12-month rolling anomaly of +0.93°C. Globally, June 2026 was the second-warmest June on record, with both hemispheres experiencing one of their warmest Junes.
Hottest & coolest countries
Several South American nations recorded notably high temperatures this month. Chile was the warmest, with an anomaly of +1.58°C, followed closely by Colombia at +1.56°C and Peru at +1.30°C. On the cooler side, Bolivia registered the lowest anomaly at +0.67°C, though still well above the long-term average.
What's driving change?
The current strong El Niño event is a significant factor in the region's elevated temperatures. The NOAA ONI 3-month anomaly for April-June 2026 indicates a weak El Niño at +0.98°C, but weekly data shows a strong warming trend, with the Niño 3.4 SST anomaly reaching +2.1°C by mid-July. Forecasters predict a 100% probability of El Niño persisting through the end of 2026. This El Niño is expected to bring increased flooding and coastal erosion to southeastern South America, and a higher likelihood of above-average rainfall in the South of Brazil, while the North and Northeast of Brazil may experience below-average rainfall and more frequent heatwaves. The warming is also influenced by the effect.
Looking ahead
The strong El Niño is expected to continue strengthening in the coming months, with a 100% probability of it persisting through at least November 2026, suggesting continued elevated temperatures and altered precipitation patterns across the continent.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
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.
Hottest & Coolest in South America this Month
1-month anomaly vs 1961–1990 across the 8 members we cover. Click a name to open its profile.
Member Countries
These are the country snapshots aggregated into the South America series.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – South America
4byo continent aggregate · equal-weight mean of 8 country monthly absolute temperatures (OWID/CRU TS).
South America – Monthly Temperature – All Years
4byo continent aggregate · equal-weight mean of 8 country monthly absolute temperatures (OWID/CRU TS).
Records – South America
4byo continent aggregate · equal-weight mean of 8 country monthly absolute temperatures (OWID/CRU TS). - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Wet / dry seasonsKöppen Cfb · TemperateSouth America doesn't have a warm/cold cycle - its monthly temperature range is only 3.9°C across the year - but it does have a strong wet/dry cycle (the wettest month gets 2× as much rain as the driest). So we track how the wet season has shifted instead.
Monthly rainfall climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Mar (-13 mm, -8%).
4byo continent aggregate · OWID/CRU TS country monthly temperatures & rainfall. Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Climate Systems
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Emissions & Energy
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Data Sources
Data Sources for South America
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 South America changing?
South America 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 South America come from?
Climate data for South America 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 South America climate data cover?
The South America climate profile covers Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and surrounding areas. Aggregated from country snapshots - NOAA does not publish a SA continental series
How often is the South America climate update refreshed?
The South America 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.