Israel Climate
Top 5 Cities: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Rishon LeZion, and Petah Tikva
This month in numbers
April 2026 in Israel saw an average temperature of 20.32°C, an anomaly of +1.7°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This ranked as the 9th warmest April in 86 years of records. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C. The three-month period from February to April 2026 in Israel was also notably warm, ranking as the 11th warmest on record with an average temperature of 16.48°C, an anomaly of +1.2°C.
What changed
The past three months (February–April 2026) in Israel have been significantly warmer than average, with February 2026 being the warmest February on record for the country. This continues a trend of warmer-than-average conditions, as the winter of 2025/26 ranked as the second warmest on record. While Israel's 1-month anomaly for April was +1.70°C, placing it 119th out of 234 regions globally, the broader regional picture for Asia shows a group mean anomaly of +1.77°C for the same month.
What’s driving change?
The warmer temperatures in Israel are part of a long-term warming trend, with the country experiencing a +1.70°C anomaly compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This warming is exacerbated by the effect, where arid regions warm faster due to the inability of dry soils to cool through evaporation. In February 2026, Israel experienced unusually warm and dry conditions, with rainfall significantly below average, particularly in the Judean Mountains, which saw only 10% to 15% of the monthly average. This dry spell contributed to an "exceptionally high frequency of hazy days" in February, with dust storms occurring earlier than usual and with increased intensity and frequency. These dust storms are linked to a phenomenon known as a sharav cyclone, a low-pressure system that forms over North Africa and transports sand and dust across the Mediterranean.
Looking ahead
Experts warn that as global temperatures rise, the frequency of dust storms in Israel is expected to increase, and severe heatwaves could make parts of the country, such as the Jordan Valley and southern Arava, uninhabitable by the end of the century.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Israel
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 Israel changing?
Israel 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 Israel come from?
Climate data for Israel 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 Israel climate data cover?
The Israel climate profile covers Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Rishon LeZion and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Israel
How often is the Israel climate update refreshed?
The Israel 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.