Lebanon Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Beirut, Tripoli, Sidon, Tyre, and Zahlé
Summary
July brought uncomfortably warm conditions across Lebanon, placing the month well above long-term averages as high humidity along the coast amplified the heat. The country experienced heightened wildfire risks across highland and inland regions, aligning with a broader global pattern that saw planet-wide land temperatures reach their 3rd highest July level on record. Warm summer conditions are expected to persist through late summer.
This month in numbers
In July 2026, Lebanon recorded an average temperature of 24.41°C, which sits 1.7°C above the 1961-1990 baseline. This made it a notably hot month, ranking as the 17th warmest July in 87 years of historical data. The elevated temperatures in Lebanon coincided with extraordinary heat worldwide. Global land temperatures reached 15.8°C with a 1.6°C anomaly, making the period the 3rd warmest July on record globally.
What changed
May to July 2026 brought a broader 3-month average temperature of 20.76°C to Lebanon, reflecting an anomaly of +0.8°C and ranking 39th out of 87 years. Meanwhile, the global 3-month land temperature reached 14.34°C with a +1.5°C baseline anomaly, standing as the 2nd warmest May to July period ever recorded. On a longer scale, Lebanon continues its distinct warming trajectory, following a 2025 average temperature of 16.93°C, which was the 3rd warmest full year in national records dating back to 1940. Over the past six decades, the nation has warmed by 2.03°C overall.
What’s driving change?
Lebanon's summer warming is strongly driven by and dynamics, where desiccated terrain in the Bekaa Valley and mountain slopes cannot evaporate moisture to cool down. In urban coastal areas, the effect further concentrates thermal stress at night. While elevated temperatures dried out vegetation and heightened wildfire risks across inland regions, conditions did not reach the scale of multi-country drought crises tracked in East Africa on our live map at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
Seasonal climate outlooks indicate that typical summer warmth and dry conditions are expected to persist across the eastern Mediterranean 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 – Lebanon
Köppen Csa · TemperateLebanon has a temperate climate (Köppen Csa: Mediterranean - hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. August is typically the warmest month, averaging 25.2°C, while January is the coldest at 7.1°C. Annual precipitation averages around 602mm, 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 – Lebanon
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 – Lebanon
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 – Lebanon
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Lebanon
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 – Lebanon
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Csa · TemperateLebanon has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±8.8°C) and a wet/dry cycle (178× 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: Nov (-50 mm, -42%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Lebanon
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 Lebanon changing?
Lebanon 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 Lebanon?
Lebanon has a temperate climate (Köppen Csa: Mediterranean - hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. August is typically the warmest month, averaging 25.2°C, while January is the coldest at 7.1°C. Annual precipitation averages around 602mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Lebanon come from?
Climate data for Lebanon 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 Lebanon climate data cover?
The Lebanon climate profile covers Beirut, Tripoli, Sidon, Tyre and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Lebanon
How often is the Lebanon climate update refreshed?
The Lebanon 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 Lebanon 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 Lebanon 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.