Summer 2026 in Kazakhstan became the hottest in eight decades

Experts from the Central Asian Climate Fund (CACF) studied data from weather stations in Kazakhstan and found that the past summer was the hottest on record. In 2026, 12 new records were set for the average monthly air temperature in 9 regions, as well as a record for the average temperature in the republic in July. Such rapid climate change is fraught with serious consequences in the foreseeable future. Rising average temperatures, increased freshwater scarcity and extreme natural events will have a negative impact on the population, agriculture, industry and economy.

 In the entire history of observations (since 1941), the highest values   of the average annual air temperature in Kazakhstan as a whole and in all regions fall on 2017-2025. The warmest in the republic and in 14 regions was 2025.

«According to operational average land data, in May-August 2026, 12 records of the average monthly air temperature were set in 9 regions, as well as a record of the average July air temperature in Kazakhstan. In May-August 2025, 10 records were set in 6 regions; in Kazakhstan as a whole, records were not noted.

Summer (June-August) 2026 became the warmest since 1941 in Kazakhstan as a whole and in 8 regions - Almaty, East Kazakhstan, Zhambyl, Karaganda, Pavlodar, Abai, Zhetysu and Ulytau regions. In the summer of 2026, the average seasonal air temperature exceeded the climatic norm by 2.15 °C.. The amount of precipitation was 7.12 mm below the climatic norm», the Kazhydromet RSE reported.

The average air temperature in Kazakhstan in the summer of 2026 was 23.70 °С, which is 1.04 °С higher than in the summer of 2025 (22.67 °С).

In June-August 2026, the air temperature was higher than in the summer of 2025, in 12 regions - by 1.56-2.59 °С in Pavlodar, Akmola, North Kazakhstan, East Kazakhstan, Karaganda, Kostanay regions, Abai and Ulytau regions, by 0.31-0.84 °С in Almaty, Kyzylorda, Aktobe regions and region Zhetysu. The air temperature close to the summer level of 2025 (the difference ± 0.10 °C) was noted in the Atyrau, Zhambyl and Turkestan regions, below the summer level of 2025 - in the West Kazakhstan (by 1.08 °C) and Mangistau (by 0.50 °C) regions.

During the summer period of 2026, new temperature records were set on separate days in different regions of Kazakhstan. Thus, the highest air temperature officially recorded in the midst of the abnormal heat was +47.6 °C in the city of Turkestan (July 18), which significantly exceeded the previous record for this day. The record holders included cities: Shymkent up to +45.2 °C (from July 16 to 20), Kyzylorda: +45.2 °C (July 17), Almaty: +41.5 °C (July 20) and Astana +38.6 °C (July 14).

In 2026, unprecedented extreme heat waves caused by global climate change and the intensification of the natural phenomenon of El Niño faced the whole world. Record temperatures were recorded in Europe, Asia, Africa, which led to large-scale droughts, forest fires and an increase in excess mortality.

In Europe, the summer of 2026 has become one of the hottest in history. Due to the "heat dome" effect, the temperature in a number of countries exceeded +45 °C (maximum up to +48.4 °C). Heat waves and drought led to the death of more than 14 thousand people (mainly in Germany and France), problems in agriculture and the destruction of vineyards.

Drought and heat threaten livestock deaths, lower grain and corn yields in the European Union and the UK, and falling palm oil production in Indonesia and Malaysia.

According to scientists from the Climate Impact Lab, the impact of El Niño from June 2026 to February 2027 could provoke up to 451 thousand additional deaths from heat in vulnerable regions of the world, such as the countries of the Sahel (9 states in Africa), Indonesia and India.

According to a report by the World Meteorological Organization, global temperatures will continue to rise over the next five years.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the planet was entering a period of unprecedented heat, urging states to accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels and implement systems to protect the public. He stressed that extreme temperatures are turning into a global crisis that exacerbates inequality, hits the economy and endangers human lives.

Given the global trends related to climate change and their possible negative consequences, experts from CACF and ESGQ Rating Agency began to analyze climate risks for Kazakhstan's business.

Recall that the ESGQ Rating Agency was founded in 2022 and is the first ESG rating agency in Central Asia. The agency conducts ESG scoring and ESG risk assessment by industry and enterprise according to its own methodology (registered copyright object), forms ESG passports, helps companies develop sustainable development strategies and non-financial reporting, and implements training programs. ESGQ is a member of the UN Global Compact.