Vanuatu Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Port Vila, Luganville, Isangel, Sola, and Lakatoro
This month in numbers
Vanuatu experienced its warmest April-June period on record, with an average temperature of 25.77°C, marking an anomaly of +1.1°C against the 1961–1990 baseline. This makes it the 1st warmest in 86 years of records. June 2026 alone was the 5th warmest June on record, with an average temperature of 25.01°C, an anomaly of +1.0°C. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest June for land temperatures, and the April-June period ranked as the 2nd warmest for global land temperatures.
What changed
Vanuatu's consistently warmer temperatures over the past three months stand in stark contrast to its 12-month rolling anomaly, which places it 220th out of 234 regions globally, indicating a relatively cooler long-term trend compared to many other areas experiencing rapid warming. The country's average temperature for 2025 was 25.57°C, making it the 2nd warmest year on record.
What’s driving change?
The primary driver for the current warming trend in Vanuatu is the strong El Niño event, which is currently active and forecast to continue with 100% probability through the end of 2026. El Niño typically brings warmer and drier conditions to the Southwest Pacific, including Vanuatu, and can shift tropical cyclone activity further east. Vanuatu officially declared an El Niño watch in June 2026, with authorities preparing for potential dry conditions, rising sea temperatures, and reduced rainfall. The World Meteorological Organization also noted that El Niño conditions are developing, fueled by unusually warm ocean waters in the tropical Pacific, and are set to influence global temperature and rainfall patterns. The WMO further highlighted that marine heatwaves were observed in the western South Pacific, including the area around Vanuatu, in 2025, which is a worrisome sign for 2026 with the developing El Niño.
Looking ahead
The strong El Niño is expected to continue into the coming months, suggesting a likelihood of continued warmer and drier conditions for Vanuatu through the end of the year.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Vanuatu
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Vanuatu – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – Vanuatu
Our World in Data / NOAA - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Weakly seasonalKöppen Af · TropicalVanuatu is weakly seasonal - temperature barely changes across the year (2.6°C range) and rainfall is fairly even. The clearest climate signal here is overall warming: monthly temperature has risen in every month.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Jul (+0.9°C).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Rainfall & Precipitation
Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals
Headline: anomaly vs the 1961–1990 mean. Small figure: the actual value. Rank: position in the full record (1st = highest ever). Record: highest (or lowest) value on record with its year.
Climate Systems
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Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Vanuatu
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 Vanuatu changing?
Vanuatu 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 Vanuatu come from?
Climate data for Vanuatu 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 Vanuatu climate data cover?
The Vanuatu climate profile covers Port Vila, Luganville, Isangel, Sola and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Vanuatu
How often is the Vanuatu climate update refreshed?
The Vanuatu 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.