Israel Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Rishon LeZion, and Petah Tikva
Summary
Israel experienced its 11th warmest July on record as an intense period of mid-summer heat elevated temperatures well above historical averages. While conditions began moderately, a powerful late-month heatwave brought extreme heat stress across inland valleys and desert regions. Worldwide, global land temperatures reached unprecedented levels, with conditions expected to remain hot into late summer.
This month in numbers
The average temperature across Israel reached 27.86°C, standing 1.8°C above the 1961 to 1990 historical baseline. This makes it the 11th warmest July in 87 years of records since 1940. Globally, land surface conditions were exceptionally hot, marking the 3rd warmest July on record with a 1.6°C anomaly, while the May to July period globally ranked as the 2nd warmest on record.
What changed
The three-month period from May to July averaged 25.06°C, which is 1.0°C above baseline and ranks as the 28th warmest such period on record. Israel ran 0.27°C warmer than the broader Asia continental average, which was 1.57°C above normal. This warm stretch aligns with a prolonged warming trend, where 2025 finished as the 5th warmest year on record at 21.13°C and overall temperatures have risen by 1.81°C above historical baselines.
What’s driving change?
The elevated temperatures were intensified by , as parched terrain limited evaporative cooling and allowed solar energy to heat the ground directly. Because environments, Eastern Mediterranean landmasses suffer amplified summer heat spikes under high-pressure ridges. These local drivers operate on top of a long-term regional warming trend, intensifying heat stress across low-lying valleys during summer peak heat.
Looking ahead
Seasonal models suggest that temperatures across the Eastern Mediterranean are likely to remain above normal through late summer and into 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 – Israel
Köppen BSh · AridIsrael has a arid climate (Köppen BSh: Hot steppe), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. August is typically the warmest month, averaging 28.3°C, while January is the coldest at 12.2°C. Annual precipitation averages around 314mm, 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 – Israel
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 – Israel
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 – Israel
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Israel
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 – Israel
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Csa · TemperateIsrael has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±7.8°C) and a wet/dry cycle (111× 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 (-34 mm, -31%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
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.
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 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 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 Israel?
Israel has a arid climate (Köppen BSh: Hot steppe), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. August is typically the warmest month, averaging 28.3°C, while January is the coldest at 12.2°C. Annual precipitation averages around 314mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
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.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Israel 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 Israel 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.