Kazakhstan Climate
Top 5 Cities: Almaty, Astana, Shymkent, Aktobe, and Karaganda
This month in numbers
Kazakhstan experienced its 2nd warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 13.05°C, a significant 5.1°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The period of February–April 2026 also ranked as the 5th warmest on record, with an anomaly of +4.7°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest on record for land temperatures, with the February–April period also ranking 2nd warmest globally.
What changed
Kazakhstan's recent warmth is part of a broader trend, with the country experiencing its 8th warmest year on record in 2025 and a long-term warming trend of +1.73°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The country was the 4th warmest globally for the latest month's anomaly and the 5th warmest for the 3-month anomaly, highlighting a striking concentration of warmth across Central Asia, with Uzbekistan, Iran, and Turkmenistan also in the top warmest countries for April. The unseasonably warm conditions in Kazakhstan during March and April, with temperatures reaching up to 32°C in early April and forecasts of up to 34°C in late April, underscore this significant shift.
What’s driving change?
The pronounced warming in Kazakhstan is being driven by several factors, including the , where higher-latitude regions tend to warm faster than tropical areas. This is compounded by , as dry conditions across much of the country, particularly in southern regions, mean soils cannot cool themselves through evaporation, leading to more intense heatwaves. The national weather service Kazhydromet reported unseasonably warm spring weather persisting across most of Kazakhstan, with dry conditions prevailing. There have also been reports of moderate drought conditions expected in some regions for May, further exacerbating the dry-soil amplification. Kazakhstan has also been experiencing significant flooding, with a dam collapse in the Akmola region in early April and a second phase of flooding anticipated in mid-to-late May, particularly in the East Kazakhstan region. Additionally, there have been numerous fire alerts, with over 40 forest fires and 200 dry grass fires recorded since the start of the fire season, which is unusually high compared to previous years. A major forest fire also occurred in the East Kazakhstan region in early May.
Looking ahead
The summer of 2026 is expected to bring a combination of heatwaves, short-term rains, thunderstorms, hail, and gusty winds, with average air temperatures across most of Kazakhstan exceeding the climate norm by 1–2 degrees in June and August.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Kazakhstan
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 Kazakhstan changing?
Kazakhstan 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 Kazakhstan come from?
Climate data for Kazakhstan 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 Kazakhstan climate data cover?
The Kazakhstan climate profile covers Almaty, Astana, Shymkent, Aktobe and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Kazakhstan
How often is the Kazakhstan climate update refreshed?
The Kazakhstan 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.