Algeria Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Algiers, Oran, Constantine, Annaba, and Blida
Summary
Algeria experienced exceptional heat as a severe heatwave swept across North Africa, pushing daytime temperatures toward 49°C and triggering over 1,400 wildfires that tragically claimed six lives in northern provinces. The country recorded an average temperature of 35.61°C, making it the 5th warmest July on record at 2.5°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. A moderate El Niño is currently active in the Pacific and is forecast to peak at Very Strong intensity between October and December, with elevated temperatures expected to persist over coming months.
This month in numbers
The average temperature of 35.61°C stood 2.5°C above the 1961–1990 baseline, marking the 5th warmest July since records began in 1940. This capped an extraordinarily hot start to summer, with the May–July period averaging 32.86°C, a 2.4°C anomaly that ranks as the 4th warmest May–July on record. On the global stage, the land temperature for the month was the 3rd warmest on record at 15.8°C (1.6°C above average), while the global May–July land temperature ranked 2nd warmest overall.
What changed
The 3-month seasonal trend demonstrates a relentless accumulation of heat across North Africa, following a May anomaly of +2.1°C and June anomaly of +2.7°C. Algeria stood out as the 3rd warmest country in the continent group for monthly anomalies, running 0.68°C warmer than the broader regional average of +1.78°C. This continues a stark long-term trend in which the nation has warmed by 2.06°C relative to its 1961–1990 baseline, coming off a full-year 2025 average of 24.75°C, its 5th warmest year on record.
What’s driving change?
The relentless heat was primarily driven by persistent trapping scorching air masses over the Sahara, alongside severe that prevented evaporative cooling and exacerbated ground temperatures. A moderate El Niño, tracked on our live page at ENSO, continues in the tropical Pacific; historically, El Niño events show a modest tendency toward hotter and drier summer conditions in the Mediterranean basin. Because surfaces, interior North Africa remains exceptionally vulnerable to rapid temperature spikes during stable high-pressure regimes.
Looking ahead
With seasonal models projecting a 100% probability of El Niño continuing through late autumn and winter, climate outlooks suggest that temperatures across North Africa are likely to remain above normal over the next 1–3 months.
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 – Algeria
Köppen BWh · AridAlgeria has a arid climate (Köppen BWh: Hot desert), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 35.6°C, while January is the coldest at 12.7°C. Annual precipitation averages around 75mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly precipitation.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Algeria
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 – Algeria
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 – Algeria
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Algeria
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 – Algeria
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen BWh · AridHow spring and autumn have shifted in Algeria. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (22.1°C, from 1940–1969); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 22.2°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Dec (+2.9°C).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Algeria
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 Algeria changing?
Algeria 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 Algeria?
Algeria has a arid climate (Köppen BWh: Hot desert), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 35.6°C, while January is the coldest at 12.7°C. Annual precipitation averages around 75mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Where does the climate data for Algeria come from?
Climate data for Algeria 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 Algeria climate data cover?
The Algeria climate profile covers Algiers, Oran, Constantine, Annaba and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Algeria
How often is the Algeria climate update refreshed?
The Algeria 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 Algeria 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 Algeria 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.