Turkmenistan Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Ashgabat, Türkmenabat, Daşoguz, Mary, and Balkanabat
Summary
Turkmenistan recorded an average temperature of 33.02°C in July 2026, marking a 2.0°C rise above the 1961-1990 baseline as intense summer conditions gripped Central Asia. A severe heatwave pushed localised daytime temperatures past 48°C, compounding hydrological drought and acute water shortages across desert and oasis communities. This mid-summer heat coincided with global land temperatures reaching their 3rd warmest July on record, with elevated temperatures anticipated to persist through late summer.
This month in numbers
Turkmenistan experienced its 10th warmest July on record since observations began in 1940, with average temperatures reaching 33.02°C. That is 2.0°C above the 1961-1990 baseline, though below the all-time monthly record of 34.41°C set in 2018. On the global stage, the period was extraordinary, as global land temperatures ranked as the 3rd warmest July on record at 15.8°C, sitting 1.6°C above baseline.
What changed
Across May-July 2026, Turkmenistan registered a three-month average temperature of 29.29°C, running 1.8°C warmer than historical norms and ranking 13th highest for the period on record. Globally, the May-July season was the 2nd warmest on record for land areas, with temperatures sitting 1.5°C above baseline. Over the longer term, Turkmenistan ranks 18th out of 232 tracked regions for its 12-month rolling temperature anomaly at +2.56°C. The country's long-term warming trend stands at +1.77°C overall, building on a record-breaking 2023 and a 2025 that ranked as the 3rd warmest year on record at 18.2°C.
What’s driving change?
Turkmenistan's position in the arid interior of Eurasia leaves it especially susceptible to dynamics, where inland territories heat at roughly 1.5 times the rate of maritime zones. Persistent high-pressure creates during summer, trapping scorching air over the Karakum Desert and oasis settlements. This effect is compounded by , as parched soils lose their ability to cool the lower atmosphere through moisture evaporation, accelerating local heat buildup and exacerbating hydrological drought across the region.
Looking ahead
Seasonal forecasting models indicate that above-average temperatures and dry conditions are likely to continue across Central Asia over the coming months, maintaining high evaporation rates and pressure on regional water supplies 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 – Turkmenistan
Köppen BWk · AridTurkmenistan has a arid climate (Köppen BWk: Cold desert), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 32.7°C, while January is the coldest at 3.3°C. Annual precipitation averages around 139mm, 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 – Turkmenistan
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 – Turkmenistan
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 – Turkmenistan
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Turkmenistan
Latest month is provisional and may be revised by the data provider in the next update cycle.
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 – Turkmenistan
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BWk · AridTurkmenistan has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±15.0°C) and a wet/dry cycle (14× 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 (+8 mm, +50%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Turkmenistan
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 Turkmenistan changing?
Turkmenistan 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 Turkmenistan?
Turkmenistan has a arid climate (Köppen BWk: Cold desert), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 32.7°C, while January is the coldest at 3.3°C. Annual precipitation averages around 139mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Turkmenistan come from?
Climate data for Turkmenistan 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 Turkmenistan climate data cover?
The Turkmenistan climate profile covers Ashgabat, Türkmenabat, Daşoguz, Mary and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Turkmenistan
How often is the Turkmenistan climate update refreshed?
The Turkmenistan 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 Turkmenistan 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 Turkmenistan 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.