Iran Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Karaj, and Shiraz
Summary
Iran recorded its 3rd warmest May to July since records began in 1940 as relentless summer conditions gripped the region. The scorching spell saw localised extremes, including temperatures in Dehloran reaching 52.1°C, worsening structural water stress across the nation. On a global scale, land temperatures for the three-month window were the 2nd highest on record, with elevated heat across Iran expected to persist through late summer and into autumn.
This month in numbers
July 2026 average temperature reached 31.38°C, which sits +2.3°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This made it the 5th warmest month of its name on record, though short of the peak set two years prior at 31.97°C. Over the broader May to July period, the average temperature reached 28.68°C, standing +2.3°C above baseline to rank as the 3rd warmest such stretch in 87 years of records. Globally, land temperatures for the single month ranked 3rd highest on record at 15.8°C (+1.6°C anomaly), while the three-month global land average ranked 2nd highest at 14.34°C (+1.5°C anomaly).
What changed
The recent warmth continues a prolonged period of elevated temperatures across the region. Iran experienced an exceptionally warm late winter, with February recording an anomaly of +6.8°C, followed by above-average conditions in March (+1.7°C), May (+2.4°C), and June (+2.2°C). Over the past 12 months, Iran's rolling anomaly of +2.51°C places it 20th among all 232 countries and regions tracked globally. Within the Asia regional group (Asia), Iran ranked as the 4th warmest member for the latest month, running 0.69°C above the continental average of +1.57°C.
What’s driving change?
The severe heat across Iran has been reinforced by persistent that trap hot air over the arid interior, coupled with . As prolonged dry spells deplete soil moisture, the ground loses its ability to cool through evaporation, causing incoming solar energy to warm the atmosphere directly. These regional mechanisms operate alongside long-term trends, as areas across the Middle East.
Looking ahead
Seasonal climate outlooks indicate that temperatures across Iran are likely to remain above normal through late summer and into autumn, maintaining pressure on water reservoirs.
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 – Iran
Köppen BSh · AridIran has a arid climate (Köppen BSh: Hot steppe), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 31.2°C, while January is the coldest at 6.5°C. Annual precipitation averages around 223mm, 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 – Iran
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 – Iran
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 – Iran
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Iran
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 – Iran
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BSk · AridIran has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±12.5°C) and a wet/dry cycle (10× 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: Dec (-8 mm, -22%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Iran
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 Iran changing?
Iran 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 Iran?
Iran has a arid climate (Köppen BSh: Hot steppe), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 31.2°C, while January is the coldest at 6.5°C. Annual precipitation averages around 223mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Iran come from?
Climate data for Iran 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 Iran climate data cover?
The Iran climate profile covers Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Karaj and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Iran
How often is the Iran climate update refreshed?
The Iran 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 Iran 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 Iran 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.