Afghanistan Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Kunduz
Summary
Afghanistan experienced a summer of severe climatic contrasts, combining persistent heat with deadly flash flooding across eastern provinces. The late-spring and early-summer period saw temperatures average 23.34°C, making it the 10th warmest May to July on record with an anomaly of +1.8°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Tragic monsoon-driven flash floods swept through eastern provinces, claiming at least 26 lives in Parun and surrounding areas, while northern and western regions endured a scorching heatwave with temperatures exceeding 45°C. High temperatures and lingering monsoon risks are expected to persist through late summer.
This month in numbers
July recorded a countrywide average temperature of 25.77°C, running 1.3°C above the long-term baseline and ranking 18th warmest on record for the month across 87 years of monitoring. Globally, land temperatures reached 15.8°C, which was 1.6°C above average and ranked as the 3rd warmest July on record. Over the three-month window from May through July, global land temperatures averaged 14.34°C (+1.5°C anomaly), marking the 2nd warmest May to July period ever recorded worldwide.
What changed
The three-month period was distinctly warmer than the recent single month, with Afghanistan ranking 74th out of 232 regions globally for its May to July temperature anomaly (+1.77°C above baseline). This fits a broader warming trajectory that has seen the country warm by 1.83°C overall compared to its 1961–1990 average. Recent years demonstrate this upward trend clearly, with 2025 finishing as the 3rd warmest calendar year on record at an average temperature of 13.75°C, just behind the record set in 2021.
What’s driving change?
The volatile atmospheric pattern was heavily influenced by , which steered sudden, intense moisture into mountainous eastern provinces while leaving western areas in extreme heat. Mountainous topography exacerbates these sudden deluges, as steep valleys channel downpours into rapid flash flooding. Meanwhile, across arid western plains intensified the heatwave, as low soil moisture prevented evaporative cooling and allowed ground temperatures to surge above 45°C.
Looking ahead
Seasonal climate outlooks indicate that elevated temperatures and erratic summer monsoon rainfall patterns will likely persist across Central and South Asia through late summer and into early autumn.
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. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Afghanistan
Köppen BSk · AridAfghanistan has a arid climate (Köppen BSk: Cold steppe), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 26.4°C, while January is the coldest at -0.5°C. Annual precipitation averages around 276mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Afghanistan
Right axis: everything else standardized to standard deviations (σ) from its own average, since mm/hours/days aren't directly comparable to °C or to each other.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Afghanistan
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI heatwave measure: days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Afghanistan
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Afghanistan
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Afghanistan
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Dsa · ContinentalAfghanistan has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±13.5°C) and a wet/dry cycle (18× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: May (+18 mm, +110%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Afghanistan
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.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Afghanistan changing?
Afghanistan 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.
What is the climate like in Afghanistan?
Afghanistan has a arid climate (Köppen BSk: Cold steppe), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 26.4°C, while January is the coldest at -0.5°C. Annual precipitation averages around 276mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Afghanistan come from?
Climate data for Afghanistan 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 Afghanistan climate data cover?
The Afghanistan climate profile covers Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Afghanistan
How often is the Afghanistan climate update refreshed?
The Afghanistan 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.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Afghanistan climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Afghanistan climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.