Montenegro Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Podgorica, Nikšić, Pljevlja, Bar, and Bijelo Polje
Summary
Montenegro experienced another unseasonably hot month as summer temperatures reached 20.18°C, pushing the region +2.3°C above its long-term average. Persistent heat across the Balkans has intensified severe dry conditions across the nation, compounding a summer of heat stress and heightened fire risk. The broader three-month season ranked as the 8th warmest May to July period on record, with elevated temperatures expected to persist into autumn.
This month in numbers
In July 2026, Montenegro recorded an average temperature of 20.18°C, standing 2.3°C above the 1961-1990 baseline and marking the 14th warmest on record for the month. The May to July three-month period was even more notable, averaging 17.59°C to rank as the 8th warmest such period on record. Globally, land temperatures during the month reached 15.8°C (+1.6°C anomaly), making it the 3rd warmest July ever recorded worldwide, while the May to July global average ranked 2nd warmest at 14.34°C.
What changed
The warm conditions in July build upon an exceptionally warm extended season, with every month since February running at least 1.0°C above historical baselines. Over the longer term, Montenegro's annual temperatures reflect a distinct warming trend of +1.89°C relative to the 1961-1990 baseline, with 2025 finishing as the 3rd warmest year on record at an average of 10.84°C. The sustained heat this summer continues a pattern of accelerated regional warming.
What’s driving change?
over southern Europe has combined with to lock in elevated temperatures across the Balkan region. Because waters, interior landmasses absorb solar radiation rapidly during summer blocking patterns, further intensifying ground-level heat. All of Montenegro's 1 drought this year has happened in the past month. The severe regional dry spell affecting Montenegro is monitored on our live map at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
Seasonal outlooks indicate that temperatures across southern Europe are likely to remain above normal through late autumn, though a seasonal shift toward wetter weather in the coming months may begin to alleviate ongoing drought conditions.
Sources:
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 – Montenegro
Köppen Cfb · TemperateMontenegro has a temperate climate (Köppen Cfb: Oceanic / temperate), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 20.6°C, while January is the coldest at 0.5°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1697mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Montenegro
Right axis: everything else standardized to standard deviations (σ) from its own average, since mm/hours/days aren't directly comparable to °C or to each other.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Montenegro
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI heatwave measure: 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 – Montenegro
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Montenegro
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 – Montenegro
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Dfb · ContinentalMontenegro has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±10.2°C) and a wet/dry cycle (3× 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: Oct (-61 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 Montenegro
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 Montenegro changing?
Montenegro 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 Montenegro?
Montenegro has a temperate climate (Köppen Cfb: Oceanic / temperate), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 20.6°C, while January is the coldest at 0.5°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1697mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Montenegro come from?
Climate data for Montenegro 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 Montenegro climate data cover?
The Montenegro climate profile covers Podgorica, Nikšić, Pljevlja, Bar and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Montenegro
How often is the Montenegro climate update refreshed?
The Montenegro 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 Montenegro 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 Montenegro 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.