Iraq Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, Erbil, and Sulaymaniyah
Summary
Iraq experienced severe mid-summer heat across its central and southern governorates, where daytime temperatures frequently neared 50°C. The elevated heat across the country unfolded against a backdrop of historic global warming, with high summer temperatures expected to persist through the coming weeks.
This month in numbers
In July 2026, Iraq recorded an average temperature of 36.06°C, which sits 1.8°C above the 1961-1990 baseline. That made it the 16th warmest July in 87 years of records, remaining well below the all-time record of 37.92°C set in 2000. This contributed to broader planetary heat, as global land temperatures reached 15.8°C with a 1.6°C anomaly to rank as the 3rd warmest July on record globally.
What changed
Across the three-month period from May to July 2026, Iraq averaged 32.27°C, which is 1.2°C above baseline and ranks as the 31st warmest such span in 87 years. Globally, that same three-month window was far more remarkable, recording a land temperature of 14.34°C with a 1.5°C anomaly to mark the 2nd warmest May to July on record. For Iraq, this aligns with an annual trend that saw 2025 rank as the 7th warmest year of 86 on record at 23.91°C, alongside a long-term warming rate of +2.21°C.
What’s driving change?
The extreme summer conditions across Iraq are largely intensified by , as depleted ground moisture prevents evaporative cooling and causes solar radiation to heat the ground directly. This local warming is accentuated because surfaces, causing arid inland regions to experience steeper temperature rises. In urban centres like Baghdad and Basra, built infrastructure and reduced green space further elevate local heat through the effect, driving daytime maximums to dangerous levels.
Looking ahead
Seasonal climate outlooks indicate that above-average temperatures will persist across Iraq over the next 1-3 months, maintaining heightened heat stress until 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 – Iraq
Köppen BWh · AridIraq has a arid climate (Köppen BWh: Hot desert), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 36.6°C, while January is the coldest at 10.3°C. Annual precipitation averages around 204mm, 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 – Iraq
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 – Iraq
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 – Iraq
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Iraq
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 – Iraq
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BSh · AridIraq has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±12.9°C) and a wet/dry cycle (41× 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 (-12 mm, -32%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
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.
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 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 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 Iraq?
Iraq has a arid climate (Köppen BWh: Hot desert), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 36.6°C, while January is the coldest at 10.3°C. Annual precipitation averages around 204mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
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.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Iraq 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 Iraq 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.