Albania Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Tirana, Durrës, Vlorë, Shkodër, and Fier
Summary
Albania experienced another sweltering midsummer as persistent heat and parched conditions ignited dozens of wildfires across the country, threatening rural communities and national parks. Temperatures remained well above historical baselines throughout June and July, amplifying drought pressures across the Western Balkans. This extreme warmth was part of a broader European heatwave that stretched emergency services from coastal districts to mountain reserves, with summer heat expected to linger into early autumn.
This month in numbers
Temperatures across Albania averaged 23.61°C in July 2026, sitting 2.5°C above the 1961-1990 baseline to rank as the 12th warmest instance of that month on record. The three-month period from May through July averaged 20.37°C, marking a 2.2°C anomaly and ranking as the 6th warmest such stretch in 87 years of measurements. Globally, land temperatures for the month reached 15.8°C (+1.6°C anomaly), making it the 3rd warmest July on record worldwide, while the broader three-month global average ranked 2nd warmest at 14.34°C (+1.5°C anomaly).
What changed
The recent surge in heat follows an unusually warm spring and early summer across the region. Albania saw a major spike in June, when temperatures ran 3.4°C above baseline at 21.87°C, preceding the elevated conditions recorded through July. This continues a sustained upward trajectory for the country, where the long-term warming trend has reached +1.56°C. The broader pattern aligns with recent annual figures, as 2025 finished as Albania's 2nd warmest year on record at 13.86°C, trailing only the record heat of 2024.
What’s driving change?
The elevated temperatures and fire activity across southern and eastern Europe are being propelled by persistent that trap hot African air over the Mediterranean basin. As soils dry out under intense sunshine, further accelerates heating by suppressing evaporative cooling, turning parched vegetation into a tinderbox. Local emergency crews battled dozens of blazes, including fires around Mallakaster and Lura National Park, as the heatwave gripped the Western Balkans. These localised fire outbreaks reflect broader regional warming, even if they remain smaller than the massive wildfire clusters currently tracked in South America and Eurasia.
Looking ahead
Seasonal climate models project that above-average temperatures are likely to persist across the Mediterranean basin through late summer and 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 – Albania
Köppen Csa · TemperateAlbania has a temperate climate (Köppen Csa: Mediterranean - hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 23.4°C, while January is the coldest at 3.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1108mm, 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 – Albania
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Albania
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - 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 – Albania
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Albania
Latest month is provisional and may be revised by the data provider in the next update cycle.
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 – Albania
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Csb · TemperateAlbania has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±10.2°C) and a wet/dry cycle (5× 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: Oct (-62 mm, -40%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Albania
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 Albania changing?
Albania 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 Albania?
Albania has a temperate climate (Köppen Csa: Mediterranean - hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 23.4°C, while January is the coldest at 3.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1108mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Albania come from?
Climate data for Albania 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 Albania climate data cover?
The Albania climate profile covers Tirana, Durrës, Vlorë, Shkodër and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Albania
How often is the Albania climate update refreshed?
The Albania 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 Albania 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 Albania 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.