Qatar Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Doha, Al Rayyan, Al Wakrah, Al Khor, and Mesaieed
Summary
Qatar experienced another uncomfortably hot stretch as summer temperatures ran 1.5°C above the long-term average. While local conditions brought sweltering heat across the peninsula, they mirrored a broader global pattern that saw worldwide land temperatures reach near-record warmth. With peak summer heat gripping the region, conditions are expected to remain intense before easing slightly into autumn.
This month in numbers
July 2026 recorded an average temperature of 36.1°C in Qatar, standing 1.5°C above the 1961–1990 baseline to rank as the 18th warmest on record. Across the wider May–July period, temperatures averaged 34.2°C, registering 1.3°C above average as the 21st warmest three-month stretch. On a planetary scale, global land temperature logged its 3rd warmest July on record at 15.8°C with a 1.6°C anomaly. The broader May–July global land average reached 14.34°C, placing 2nd highest in the historical record.
What changed
The elevated warmth fits into a sustained multi-month trend across Qatar, following a notable late-winter surge where February finished 3.3°C above average and June ran 1.8°C warm. Over the long term, Qatar has warmed by 1.72°C compared to its 1961–1990 baseline, with full-year figures consistently hovering near historic highs. The year 2025 averaged 27.82°C as the 13th warmest year in 86 years of tracking, trailing the record set in 2021 at 28.46°C.
What’s driving change?
Qatar’s hyper-arid environment makes it highly susceptible to , where a lack of moisture prevents evaporative cooling and forces solar energy to directly heat the ground. In major urban centres like Doha, this intensity is compounded by the effect, which traps heat in built infrastructure overnight. While summer dust and shamal winds created localised haze, conditions did not trigger international disaster alerts, unlike the 24 wildfires active in Angola on our live map at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
Seasonal forecasts indicate that severe heat and high coastal humidity will persist across the region through late summer, before temperatures gradually begin to moderate 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 – Qatar
Köppen BWh · AridQatar has a arid climate (Köppen BWh: Hot desert), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 36.4°C, while January is the coldest at 18.2°C. Annual precipitation averages around 103mm, 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 – Qatar
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 – Qatar
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 – Qatar
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Qatar
Latest month is provisional and may be revised by the data provider in the next update cycle.
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 – Qatar
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BWh · AridQatar has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±9.1°C) and a wet/dry cycle (27× 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: Feb (-15 mm, -55%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Qatar
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 Qatar changing?
Qatar 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 Qatar?
Qatar has a arid climate (Köppen BWh: Hot desert), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 36.4°C, while January is the coldest at 18.2°C. Annual precipitation averages around 103mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Qatar come from?
Climate data for Qatar 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 Qatar climate data cover?
The Qatar climate profile covers Doha, Al Rayyan, Al Wakrah, Al Khor and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Qatar
How often is the Qatar climate update refreshed?
The Qatar 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 Qatar 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 Qatar 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.