Norway Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim, and Drammen
Summary
Norway recorded its 9th warmest May to July on record as sustained warmth pushed temperatures 1.9°C above the long-term average. While parts of northern mainland Norway saw rain, Svalbard reached a July peak of 15.4°C during a surge of Far North heat. On a rolling 12-month basis, Norway ranks as the 9th warmest region globally, with unseasonably mild conditions set to persist into late autumn as a moderate El Niño intensifies.
This month in numbers
During July 2026, Norway recorded an average temperature of 11.19°C, standing 1.2°C above the 1961-1990 baseline to rank 27th warmest on record. The broader May to July season proved far more notable, averaging 8.7°C with a +1.9°C anomaly to mark the 9th warmest 3-month start to summer in 87 years of data. Globally, land temperatures reached exceptional levels, with May to July ranking as the 2nd warmest such period on record at 14.34°C, while the latest month ranked as the 3rd warmest July globally at 15.8°C.
What changed
The warm early summer continues a longer period of elevated temperatures across Scandinavia. Over the past 12 months, Norway has experienced a rolling temperature anomaly of +2.88°C, placing it 9th highest out of 232 global regions tracked. This fits a sharp warming trajectory for the country, where the long-term trend sits at +2.50°C above the 1961-1990 norm, capped by 2025 finishing as the warmest single year on record with a mean temperature of 2.51°C.
What’s driving change?
Norway’s rapid long-term warming is strongly propelled by , which causes high northern latitudes to heat up far faster than the global average. Atmospheric dynamics have also played a key role, with allowing warm air masses to push far into high latitudes, setting regional heat records even as low-pressure systems brought wet weather to parts of the northern mainland. On the global stage, a moderate El Niño remains active in the tropical Pacific, as tracked at ENSO. While El Niño historical teleconnections for northern Europe are relatively weak and inconsistent at around 45% reliability, global heat associated with the phase continues to elevate baseline temperatures across Europe.
Looking ahead
Seasonal outlooks suggest above-average temperatures are likely to linger across Scandinavia through autumn, with climate models indicating an 81% probability that the current El Niño will intensify into a Very Strong event between October and December.
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 – Norway
Köppen Dfc · ContinentalNorway has a continental climate (Köppen Dfc: Subarctic), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 11.8°C, while January is the coldest at -6.7°C. Annual precipitation averages around 960mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
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 – Norway
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 – Norway
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 – Norway
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Norway
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 – Norway
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen ET · PolarHow spring and autumn have shifted in Norway. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (-1.5°C, from 1940–1969); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 21.7°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+5.5°C).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Norway
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 Norway changing?
Norway 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 Norway?
Norway has a continental climate (Köppen Dfc: Subarctic), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 11.8°C, while January is the coldest at -6.7°C. Annual precipitation averages around 960mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Where does the climate data for Norway come from?
Climate data for Norway 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 Norway climate data cover?
The Norway climate profile covers Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Trondheim and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Norway
How often is the Norway climate update refreshed?
The Norway 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 Norway 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 Norway 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.