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. This follows a remarkably warm start to the year, as the February–April 2026 period ranked as the 5th warmest on record, with an anomaly of +4.7°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures, indicating a widespread warming trend.
What changed
The past three months (February–April 2026) saw Kazakhstan's average temperature at 2.06°C, ranking 5th warmest in 86 years of records. This places Kazakhstan 8th globally for its 3-month temperature anomaly, highlighting a strong regional warming trend. The country also ranked 20th globally for its April 2026 temperature anomaly. This period has been marked by significant temperature fluctuations, with forecasts in late April predicting heatwaves up to 34°C in southern Kazakhstan, while northern and western regions could still experience night frosts as low as -3°C.
What’s driving change?
The pronounced warming in Kazakhstan is influenced by global warming trends, with the country experiencing a faster rate of temperature increase than the global average. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with an anomaly of +0.11°C for February-April 2026. However, forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of an El Niño developing in the coming months, with a 61% chance for May-July and a 79% chance for June-August, which typically brings warmer and drier conditions to the region. Kazakhstan has also grappled with significant flooding in April 2026, described as the largest natural disaster in living memory, with over 125,000 people evacuated. This was exacerbated by rapid snowmelt and heavy rain on already waterlogged land, and a dam collapse in the Akmola region. Furthermore, a drought and water shortage are forecasted for 2026 in southern regions, attributed to reduced autumn-winter precipitation and decreased glacial runoff.
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.