Syria Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Latakia, and Hama
Summary
July 2026 brought a significant midsummer surge in warmth across Syria, following a remarkably hot June and leaving the country experiencing conditions 1.7°C above its long-term baseline. The intense heat exacerbated ongoing water scarcity and increased summer wildfire risks across central and eastern provinces, even as national emergency services issued public health warnings. Looking ahead, elevated temperatures are expected to persist through late summer.
This month in numbers
Syria recorded an average temperature of 30.73°C in July 2026, marking an anomaly of +1.7°C above the 1961 to 1990 baseline. This made it the 16th warmest July in 87 years of records, though well below the all-time monthly record of 32.59°C set in 2017. Globally, land temperatures were exceptionally high, with the month ranking as the 3rd warmest July on record at an average of 15.8°C, or +1.6°C above baseline.
What changed
The May to July period saw Syria average 26.79°C, an anomaly of +0.9°C that ranked 32nd in the historical record. This three-month figure reflects a sharp seasonal pivot, as cool anomalies in March (-0.4°C), April (-0.5°C), and May (-0.4°C) gave way to summer heat spikes in June (+1.6°C) and July. On the global stage, the May to July period ranked as the 2nd warmest such window on record with an average of 14.34°C (+1.5°C anomaly). Over the long term, Syria has warmed by +2.21°C since the baseline period, with 2025 finishing as its 5th warmest year on record at 20.28°C.
What’s driving change?
Syria's rising temperatures are heavily influenced by , where depleted soil moisture and persistent water deficits across the Levant prevent normal evaporative cooling during summer. Because , inland atmospheric heating is intensified over semi-arid terrain, transforming standard high-pressure systems into intense heat events. These thermal conditions, combined with regional atmospheric pressure patterns, continue to exacerbate dry conditions and heighten seasonal wildfire risks.
Looking ahead
Seasonal climate models indicate that above-average temperatures are likely to persist across the Middle East into autumn, maintaining elevated heat risks and further straining regional water supplies.
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 – Syria
Köppen BSh · AridSyria has a arid climate (Köppen BSh: Hot steppe), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 31.4°C, while January is the coldest at 8.2°C. Annual precipitation averages around 221mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
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 – Syria
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 – Syria
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 – Syria
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Syria
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 – Syria
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Csa · TemperateSyria has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±11.4°C) and a wet/dry cycle (80× 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 (-37 mm, -60%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Syria
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 Syria changing?
Syria 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 Syria?
Syria has a arid climate (Köppen BSh: Hot steppe), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 31.4°C, while January is the coldest at 8.2°C. Annual precipitation averages around 221mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Syria come from?
Climate data for Syria 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 Syria climate data cover?
The Syria climate profile covers Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Latakia and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Syria
How often is the Syria climate update refreshed?
The Syria 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 Syria 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 Syria 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.