Medellín Weather November 2026: Heat Record and El Niño

On Monday, November 9, the Olaya Herrera airport station recorded 32.8°C, breaking a November record that had stood since 1997, per El Colombiano. For anyone checking Medellín weather in November 2026, that reading matters less as a curiosity than as a signal: Ideam says El Niño is nearing its peak, and Antioquia’s reservoirs are being managed accordingly.

Quick answer: Two Medellín-area stations set November highs on November 9, 2026. Ideam warns the heat may continue, and El Niño’s dry effects could intensify in December. Nothing here is a travel warning. Pack for both sun and afternoon showers, since Ideam says more rain is still expected in November, and expect water-saving appeals to return.

Medellín weather in November 2026: what the heat record says

According to El Colombiano and Minuto30, both citing Ideam, Colombia’s weather institute (we could not locate the original Ideam bulletin online, so figures are as relayed by these outlets):

• Olaya Herrera airport: 32.8°C, which is 1.6°C above the previous November record of 31.2°C set in 1997.
• La Aldea (Caldas, southern Valle de Aburrá): 28.6°C, 0.4°C above the 28.2°C recorded on November 27, 2023.

Ideam’s own caveats are worth repeating. These are monthly records for each station, not the hottest temperatures in Medellín’s history. The data are preliminary, and a reading only describes that station’s exact spot. In fact, Olaya Herrera itself logged 33.8°C in May 2026, per El Colombiano. The same day, 17 stations nationwide beat their November records, including Armenia at 32.9°C and Natagaima (Tolima) at 41.2°C, per El Colombiano.

El Colombiano links the heat to El Niño, thinner cloud cover and low humidity.

Typical November weather in Medellín: travel guides such as Rough Guides put a normal November at roughly 27°C by day and 17°C at night, with around 180 mm of rain. These are approximate guidebook averages, not an Ideam climatological normal, but they show 32.8°C is about 6°C above a usual afternoon.

For context, the Aburrá Valley monitoring network SIATA reported a highest Medellín reading of 29.6°C for all of November 2018 in its monthly bulletin. That is one past month, not an official climatological normal, but it shows how far 32.8°C sits above a typical November peak. November also falls in the valley’s second rainy season, so afternoon showers remain normal even in a hot spell.

Medellín weather in December: what El Niño could change

Ideam said on November 5 that El Niño’s peak is approaching and that rains will begin to taper across the country, per Minuto30. It also stressed that recent rains did not end the phenomenon. They were part of the normal rainy season, and more rain is still expected in November.

The December outlook is less firm. El Colombiano, citing Ideam and other experts, reports El Niño may intensify in December and could last into the first half of 2027. Treat this as an expectation, not a forecast; no December temperature or rainfall ranges have been published in the sources used here.

For visitors, the practical read is:

• Daytime sun: Standard heat precautions apply: hydrate, avoid direct sun between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., and use sunscreen and light clothing, as Minuto30 also reports.
• Water: Earlier this year El Niño-driven low flows pushed EPM into overnight cuts in six comunas, later suspended in favor of savings targets. Ideam flags water sources and reservoirs serving Antioquia as the thing to watch. Short stays are unlikely to be affected, but residents should keep a small reserve.
• Energy: Lower rainfall in early 2027 could affect power generation, per El Colombiano. See our note on EPM’s energy-saving discounts and surcharges.

Why Hidroituango filling up matters

On November 9, the same day as the records, the Hidroituango reservoir reached elevation 420 m above sea level, its original design level and maximum operating level, per the Alcaldía de Medellín. The controlled rise began September 25 and averaged about 40 cm a day.

Key figures from that release:

• The extra water is roughly 400 million cubic meters, about 187 GWh of stored energy, which the Alcaldía and EPM say equals about 15 days of Medellín’s electricity demand. That equivalence is the city’s own figure, not an independent estimate.
• Four units are operating, up to 1,200 MW. Units 5 to 8 were 96.47% complete as of October 31, 2026.
• EPM manager John Maya Salazar said the level gives “una mayor reserva de agua para afrontar los meses más difíciles del fenómeno de El Niño,” which the release places between December and April.

That is a buffer, not a guarantee. It does suggest power is better covered than during past dry spells, though nothing in the sources promises zero risk.

What to do if you’re visiting or living here

1. Plan around the sun, but carry a rain layer: mornings and evenings for hikes and Comuna 13 walks, with an umbrella for afternoon showers through late November.
2. Check EPM and Ideam updates before travel in December. Conditions can shift quickly.
3. Save water in your rental. It costs nothing and is what EPM asks for.
4. Budget for a pricier city: Medellín’s October inflation was among the highest in Colombia.

FAQ

Is Medellín hot in November? Typically warm and rainy rather than hot: guidebook averages are about 27°C by day, 17°C at night and roughly 180 mm of rain (Rough Guides). But November 9, 2026 set a station record of 32.8°C at Olaya Herrera, per El Colombiano. Rain is still expected this month, per Ideam via Minuto30.

Will there be water rationing in December 2026? No rationing has been announced in the sources used here. Ideam says El Niño could intensify in December, and Hidroituango reached its 420 m level on November 9. Check EPM for updates.

How does El Niño affect visitors? Mostly hotter, drier days and renewed water-saving appeals. Short stays are unlikely to be affected.

Figures are as reported November 9–10, 2026, and Ideam describes the data as preliminary. We will update this post if the outlook changes.