Turkmenistan Climate
Top 5 Cities: Ashgabat, Türkmenabat, Daşoguz, Mary, and Balkanabat
This month in numbers
Turkmenistan experienced its 2nd warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 21.72°C, a significant anomaly of +5.2°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This nearly matched the all-time record set in April 2001. Globally, April 2026 was also the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
The period of February–April 2026 was the 7th warmest on record for Turkmenistan, with an average temperature of 12.53°C, an anomaly of +3.3°C. Turkmenistan ranked as the 3rd warmest country globally for its 1-month temperature anomaly in April, with a +5.21°C difference from the baseline. This places Turkmenistan within a striking pattern of warmth across Central Asia, with Uzbekistan, Iran, and Kazakhstan also experiencing exceptionally high temperature anomalies in April. The country has also been experiencing a prolonged drought, with one event lasting 16 months, which represents 100% of the annual total for drought events in the past 12 months, an unusual concentration.
What’s driving change?
The significant warming observed in Turkmenistan is largely driven by the broader pattern of land warming faster than ocean, a phenomenon particularly pronounced in continental interiors like Central Asia. The region is also grappling with severe water stress, exacerbated by climate change and inefficient water use, with the drying of the Aral Sea contributing to hotter, drier summers and increased salt-and-sand storms. Turkmenistan is highly vulnerable to moisture deficiency, with droughts and higher temperatures being limiting factors for water development, agriculture, and forestry. In February 2026, Turkmenistan experienced abnormal heat and dust storms, with temperatures reaching an absolute maximum of 36.2°C in Esenguly, breaking a record set in 1946. This extreme weather, coupled with the ongoing drought, has damaged crops and infrastructure. More information on active extreme weather events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The summer of 2026 is projected to be a critical period for Central Asia regarding water stress, with significantly lower water reserves in the main river basins.
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
Loading 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.
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 trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
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.