Saudi Arabia Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Mecca, Medina, and Dammam
Summary
Saudi Arabia experienced exceptional heat across the region, culminating in its 8th warmest July on record alongside a severe regional heatwave that pushed daily maximums near 50°C in eastern provinces. Across the planet, global land temperatures reached their 3rd warmest July in 87 years of data. The Kingdom ranked amongst the hottest nations in Asia as intense summer weather persisted, with temperatures expected to ease gradually into autumn.
This month in numbers
In July 2026, average temperatures reached 35.72°C, standing 2.4°C above the 1961-1990 baseline and ranking 8th for the month in records stretching back to 1940. Over the broader three-month period from May to July, temperatures averaged 34°C, which was 2.3°C higher than usual and also ranked 8th of 87 years. Worldwide, global land surface heat was extraordinary: the three-month window ranked as the 2nd warmest on record with an anomaly of +1.5°C, while the single month finished 3rd highest globally with a +1.6°C anomaly.
What changed
This hot summer follows a long-term warming trend that has raised the Kingdom's baseline temperature by 2.26°C since the mid-twentieth century, culminating in an annual average of 26.56°C in 2025. Within Asia, Saudi Arabia recorded the 2nd highest monthly temperature anomaly on the continent, running 0.83°C warmer than the broader regional average of +1.57°C. Readers can explore continental trends across the region at Asia.
What’s driving change?
Extreme temperatures across the Arabian Peninsula are heavily amplified by , where a lack of moisture prevents evaporative cooling and turns solar energy directly into intense heat. During summer, powerful high-pressure systems trap sweltering air overhead, creating persistent that suppress cloud cover and push daytime maximums toward 50°C in eastern and central governorates. Because regions, inland desert environments experience accelerated warming rates compared to the global average.
Looking ahead
Seasonal forecasts from the National Center for Meteorology indicate that above-average heat will persist through late summer before temperatures gradually ease 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 – Saudi Arabia
Köppen BWh · AridSaudi Arabia 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 35.8°C, while January is the coldest at 16.0°C. Annual precipitation averages around 89mm, 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 – Saudi Arabia
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 – Saudi Arabia
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 – Saudi Arabia
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Saudi Arabia
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 – Saudi Arabia
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - 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 (25× 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: Dec (-17 mm, -66%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
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.
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 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.
What is the climate like in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia 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 35.8°C, while January is the coldest at 16.0°C. Annual precipitation averages around 89mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
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.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia 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.