Egypt Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Cairo, Alexandria, Giza, Shubra El Kheima, and Port Said
Summary
Egypt recorded its 9th warmest July on record as a severe mid-summer heat dome drove local temperatures up to 46°C in Upper Egypt, straining agricultural yields and the national power grid. The mean monthly temperature reached 31.23°C, continuing a broader multi-month warming trend. Global background heat remains exceptionally high, with world land temperatures marking their 3rd hottest July on record. At the same time, a moderate El Niño currently active in the Pacific is forecast to peak at Very Strong between September and November, further amplifying regional climate volatility. With high atmospheric pressure and dry air lingering, blistering summer conditions are likely to persist in the coming months.
This month in numbers
In July 2026, Egypt recorded an average temperature of 31.23°C, sitting 1.8°C above the 1961–1990 baseline and making it the 9th warmest month of its name in 87 years of records. Globally, land temperatures marked their 3rd warmest July on record at 15.8°C (+1.6°C anomaly). Meanwhile, the three-month period from May to July registered as the 2nd warmest May–July window ever recorded, averaging 14.34°C with a +1.5°C anomaly. Across Egypt, precipitation remained essentially zero, matching typical hyper-arid mid-summer baselines.
What changed
Over the three months from May to July, Egypt averaged 29.43°C (+1.1°C anomaly), ranking as the 16th warmest May–July period on record. While this seasonal anomaly was less extreme than in parts of Western Europe, it fits into a relentless long-term warming trajectory that has seen Egypt warm by 1.55°C overall compared to its 1961–1990 baseline. The broader regional picture across the Africa group averaged a 1-month anomaly of +1.78°C, putting Egypt right in step with continental trends as part of an elevated thermal baseline that pushed 2025 to be the country's 8th warmest full year on record.
What’s driving change?
The primary driver behind Egypt's July heat spike was the formation of persistent , where high-pressure atmospheric systems trapped intense solar radiation and hot air over North Africa. This mechanism was further intensified by , as Egypt's hyper-arid desert terrain lacks soil moisture for evaporative cooling, converting nearly all incoming solar energy into sensible heat. On a global scale, an active El Niño in the tropical Pacific, currently classified as moderate but intensifying toward a forecast peak of Very Strong in late autumn (tracked at ENSO), provides a warm background state, although its direct historical teleconnection to Egyptian weather remains modest and variable.
Looking ahead
Looking into the coming months, seasonal climate models indicate that above-average temperatures are likely to persist through late summer and early autumn as the evolving El Niño peaks in strength.
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 – Egypt
Köppen BWh · AridEgypt has a arid climate (Köppen BWh: Hot desert), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. August is typically the warmest month, averaging 31.5°C, while January is the coldest at 13.3°C. Annual precipitation averages around 19mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
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 – Egypt
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 – Egypt
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 – Egypt
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Egypt
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 – Egypt
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BWh · AridEgypt has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±8.7°C) and a wet/dry cycle (13× 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: Jan (-9 mm, -69%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Egypt
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 Egypt changing?
Egypt 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 Egypt?
Egypt has a arid climate (Köppen BWh: Hot desert), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. August is typically the warmest month, averaging 31.5°C, while January is the coldest at 13.3°C. Annual precipitation averages around 19mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Egypt come from?
Climate data for Egypt 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 Egypt climate data cover?
The Egypt climate profile covers Cairo, Alexandria, Giza, Shubra El Kheima and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Egypt
How often is the Egypt climate update refreshed?
The Egypt 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 Egypt 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 Egypt 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.