Saudi Arabia Climate
Top 5 Cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Mecca, Medina, and Dammam
This month in numbers
Saudi Arabia experienced its warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 28.52°C, an anomaly of +3.6°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This marks the 1st warmest April in 86 years of records. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
The February–April 2026 period saw an average temperature of 22.53°C, ranking as the 6th warmest such period on record for Saudi Arabia, with an anomaly of +1.9°C. This continues a trend of warmer-than-average conditions, with 2025 being the 2nd warmest year on record for the country. Saudi Arabia's 1-month anomaly of +3.56°C places it 4th warmest within the Asia group, which collectively saw a 1-month anomaly of +1.77°C.
What’s driving change?
The significantly warmer temperatures are part of a long-term warming trend for Saudi Arabia, which has seen an increase of +2.30°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This warming trend is influenced by the global phenomenon of . The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a strong probability of transitioning to El Niño in the coming months, which typically brings warmer and drier conditions to the region. In April 2026, Saudi Arabia experienced severe flash flooding between April 11 and 13, with torrential storms, heavy rain, hail, and strong winds disrupting transport and forcing school closures across multiple regions, including Riyadh and Mecca. Rainfall levels in early April rose by 162% compared to seasonal averages, with some areas recording their second-highest totals on record. This unusual wave of heavy rain has been attributed to an abnormally strong jet stream pulling moist tropical air into the Arabian Peninsula, creating deep low-pressure systems and intense thunderstorms.
Looking ahead
The NOAA CPC forecast indicates a 61% chance of El Niño developing by May–July, increasing to 87% by July–September, which could bring warmer and drier conditions to Saudi Arabia in the coming months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Saudi Arabia
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 Saudi Arabia changing?
Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia come from?
Climate data for Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia climate data cover?
The Saudi Arabia climate profile covers Riyadh, Jeddah, Mecca, Medina and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Saudi Arabia
How often is the Saudi Arabia climate update refreshed?
The Saudi Arabia 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.