Iraq Climate
Top 5 Cities: Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, Erbil, and Sulaymaniyah
This month in numbers
Iraq experienced its 7th warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 24.18°C, an anomaly of +3.3°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The global land temperature for April 2026 also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record, with an anomaly of +1.1°C. Looking at the broader picture, the February–April 2026 period in Iraq was the 21st warmest on record, with an average temperature of 17.21°C, an anomaly of +1.7°C.
What changed
The past three months (February–April 2026) in Iraq saw temperatures significantly above average, with March and April experiencing anomalies of +2.6°C and +3.3°C respectively. This trend is notably warmer than the global land temperature for the same three-month period, which ranked as the 2nd warmest on record globally. While Iraq's 3-month anomaly of +1.7°C places it 112th out of 234 regions, its April anomaly of +3.34°C puts it at 48th, indicating a recent surge in warmth. Within the Asia group, Iraq's April anomaly was the 5th highest, at 1.57°C warmer than the group average.
What’s driving change?
The warming trend in Iraq is influenced by the broader global warming trend, with land warming faster than ocean. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a +0.11°C anomaly in the Niño 3.4 region for February-April 2026. However, forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of an El Niño developing in the coming months, with a 79% chance for June-August 2026 and an 87% chance for July-September 2026. This shift could bring warmer and drier conditions to the region. Despite the overall warming, Iraq experienced significant rainfall events in March and April 2026, which led to a "relative revival" of the drought-affected Hawizeh Marshes in southeastern Iraq. Winter rains delivered approximately 70mm of precipitation, flooding large areas and bringing life back to the wetlands after years of severe drought. The Khabur River in Duhok also saw a rise of more than 5 meters in water levels due to heavy rainfall in April.
Looking ahead
The evolving El Niño phase suggests a potential for warmer and drier conditions in the coming months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Iraq
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.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Iraq changing?
Iraq 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 trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Iraq come from?
Climate data for Iraq 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 Iraq climate data cover?
The Iraq climate profile covers Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, Erbil and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Iraq
How often is the Iraq climate update refreshed?
The Iraq 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.