Saudi Arabia Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Mecca, Medina, and Dammam
This month in numbers
Saudi Arabia experienced its 14th warmest June on record, with an average temperature of 34.29°C, an anomaly of +2.1°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. The all-time record for June was 36.31°C, set in June 2025. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest June on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1°C.
What changed
The period of April to June 2026 was the 2nd warmest on record for Saudi Arabia, with an average temperature of 31.67°C, an anomaly of +2.7°C. This is just shy of the all-time record of 31.69°C set in April–June 2018. This trend aligns with the broader national picture, as the latest full-year average temperature for Saudi Arabia in 2025 was 27.15°C, making it the 2nd warmest year on record. The long-term trend for the region shows a significant warming of +2.30°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. Globally, the April–June 2026 period was also the 2nd warmest on record for land temperatures, indicating a widespread warming trend.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warming in Saudi Arabia is largely driven by the , where higher-latitude regions tend to warm faster than the tropics, and , where arid regions like Saudi Arabia warm faster due to the lack of evaporative cooling. During June 2026, Saudi Arabia experienced a severe heatwave from June 20 to June 25, with temperatures reaching between 47°C and 50°C in the Eastern Province, and 45°C to 47°C in Riyadh, Qassim, Madinah, and Northern Borders regions. This extreme heat event was accompanied by warnings of thunderstorms and lightning in parts of Makkah, Jazan, Asir, and Al-Baha on June 19, 2026.
Looking ahead
Seasonal forecasts for July and August 2026 indicate that average temperatures across all regions of Saudi Arabia are expected to be above normal, with some areas potentially seeing increases of up to 1.6 degrees Celsius above normal.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Saudi Arabia
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Saudi Arabia – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – Saudi Arabia
Our World in Data / NOAA - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BWh · AridSaudi Arabia has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±9.5°C) and a wet/dry cycle (22× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly rainfall climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Apr (-1 mm, -4%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Rainfall & Precipitation
Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals
Headline: anomaly vs the 1961–1990 mean. Small figure: the actual value. Rank: position in the full record (1st = highest ever). Record: highest (or lowest) value on record with its year.
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
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 headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and 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.