Turkey Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, and Antalya
Summary
Turkey experienced a warm month with temperatures climbing well above historic averages, accompanied by dangerous wildfire conditions across coastal provinces and sudden urban flash flooding in inland areas. Globally, it was the 3rd warmest July on record, while the May to July period marked the 2nd warmest three-month stretch in modern history, with unseasonable warmth expected to persist through late summer.
This month in numbers
Turkey recorded an average temperature of 23.21°C in July 2026, sitting 1.1°C above the 1961-1990 baseline to rank as the 25th warmest month of its kind in 87 years of records. Globally, land temperatures reached 15.8°C (+1.6°C anomaly), marking the 3rd warmest July on record. For the three-month period spanning May to July 2026, the global land temperature averaged 14.34°C (+1.5°C anomaly), registering as the 2nd warmest May-July stretch on record. In Turkey, the same three-month period averaged 18.96°C (+0.6°C anomaly), ranking 33rd on record.
What changed
Following a cooler spring where May dipped 0.9°C below average, summer heat arrived swiftly across Turkey, with June posting a 1.5°C anomaly before July settled at 1.1°C above baseline. Long-term climate data highlights a broader warming trend of +1.85°C for the country relative to the 1961-1990 baseline, with 2025 standing as the 5th warmest year on record at 12.89°C. Across the broader Asia region, where monthly temperatures averaged 1.57°C above baseline, Turkey ran 0.44°C cooler than the continental average.
What’s driving change?
The rapid heating across the region demonstrates how waters, while further intensifies summer heatwaves. Elevated temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds fueled widespread wildfires across western coastal provinces, while intense convective downpours caused severe flash flooding in Ankara during the month.
Looking ahead
Seasonal forecasts indicate that above-average temperatures are likely to linger across Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean through late summer and into early 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 – Turkey
Köppen Csa · TemperateTurkey has a temperate climate (Köppen Csa: Mediterranean - hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. August is typically the warmest month, averaging 24.3°C, while January is the coldest at 1.2°C. Annual precipitation averages around 561mm, 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 – Turkey
Right axis: everything else standardized to standard deviations (σ) from its own average, since mm/hours/days aren't directly comparable to °C or to each other.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Turkey
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI heatwave measure: 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 – Turkey
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Turkey
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 – Turkey
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Dsa · ContinentalTurkey has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±11.6°C) and a wet/dry cycle (5× 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 (-18 mm, -27%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Turkey
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 Turkey changing?
Turkey 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 Turkey?
Turkey has a temperate climate (Köppen Csa: Mediterranean - hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. August is typically the warmest month, averaging 24.3°C, while January is the coldest at 1.2°C. Annual precipitation averages around 561mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Turkey come from?
Climate data for Turkey 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 Turkey climate data cover?
The Turkey climate profile covers Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Turkey
How often is the Turkey climate update refreshed?
The Turkey 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 Turkey 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 Turkey 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.