The climate in North Korea

Average daytime and nighttime temperatures

All climate diagrams on this page come from the collected data of 7 weather stations.
Weather stations at an altitude above 710m have not been included.
All data correspond to the average monthly values of the last 20 years.

Back to overview: North Korea

Climate zone: The northern part of North Korea is located in the temperate climate zone, while the southern part is subtropical.

The climate in North Korea is varied and offers seasons with cold winters and warm summers. It rarely gets really warm up here. The warmest and rainiest part of the country is Hwanghae-bukto. The coldest is Yanggang-do. Due to the warmer temperatures, the best time for traveling is from May to September. Less attractive are the cold months from November to March.

› Duration of daylight and sunshine in North Korea
› Compare climate with other regions or countries

Hours of sunshine per day Sunshine hours per day in North Korea

Rain days per month Rain days per month in North Korea

Precipitation in mm/day Precipitation in North Korea

Relative humidity in % Relative humidity in North Korea

Absolute humidity in g/m³ Absolute humidity in North Korea

Regions in North Korea

All figures per year. For detailed climate data click on the name of the region.

Region	Temperature max Ø day	Temperature min Ø night	Sunshine hours	Rainy days	Precipitation	Humidity
Hamgyong-bukto	13.6 °C	3.4 °C	2,263 h	64	657 l
Hwanghae-bukto	16.6 °C	7.5 °C	2,044 h	66	1,139 l	71.0 %
Hwanghae-namdo	16.3 °C	7.9 °C	2,008 h	67	1,142 l	70.0 %
Kangwon-do	16.3 °C	7.8 °C	2,044 h	77	1,420 l	67.0 %
P'yongan-bukto	15.5 °C	6.0 °C	2,081 h	72	1,007 l	73.0 %
P'yongan-namdo	16.4 °C	6.6 °C	2,117 h	71	989 l	72.0 %
Pyongyang	16.4 °C	6.6 °C	2,117 h	71	989 l	72.0 %
Yanggang-do	11.7 °C	-1.7 °C	1,935 h	88	580 l

Temperature records of the last 44 years

The hottest temperature measured from 1979 to January 2023 was reported by the Chunggang weather station. In July 2018, the record temperature of 40.2 °C was reported here. The hottest summer from July to September, based on all 6 weather stations in North Korea below 710 meters altitude, was recorded in 2021 with an average temperature of 23.5 °C. This average temperature will normally be measured every four to six hours, thus also including the nights. Normally, this value is 21.9 degrees Celsius. The average maximum daily temperature at that time was 28.3 °C.

The coldest day in these 44 years was reported by the Chunggang weather station. Here the temperature dropped to -38.1 °C in January 2001. Chunggang lies at an altitude of 331 meters above sea level. The coldest winter (January to March) was in 2023 with an average temperature of -5.3 °C. In North Korea, it is usual to have about 3.2 degrees more at -2.1 °C for this three-month period.

The most precipitation fell in July 2011. With 28.1 mm per day, the Haeju weather station recorded the highest monthly average of the last 44 years. Incidentally, the region with the most rainfall for the whole year is around Wonsan. The driest region is near Chunggang.

Data basis and methodology

The data from the individual measuring stations are based on the archives of the German Weather Service, individual values averaged and supplemented by own elements. In order to determine a representative national average, average values were first calculated for each part of the country, which were then summarized at the national level. Thus, if a disproportionate number of weather stations are located in a small area, their number does not affect the national average.

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