July Heatwaves Push Turkmenistan into Five Hottest Months Ever Recorded

July 2025 is expected to rank among the five hottest Julys ever recorded in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, with the average temperature reaching 33.4°C, surpassing the long-term norm of 31.7°C.

The hottest July to date remains 2018, when the city experienced an average temperature of 35.2°C, The Caspian Post reports per Turkmen media.

Other notably hot years include 2019 and 2021 with 33.7°C, 2023 at 33.4°C, 2015 at 33.2°C, and 1983 at 33.1°C. This data highlights a clear warming trend, with nearly all of the hottest years occurring within the last decade.

While July 2025 saw elevated average temperatures, extreme daily highs remained below past records. The maximum temperature recorded this July was 43.2°C, compared to the all-time July peak of 46.8°C set in 2021.

Earlier forecasts based on global climate models, including GFSv2, predicted that July could experience weather patterns similar to June, featuring frequent northwestern air incursions that might have brought cooler temperatures. Some models even suggested the possibility that July 2025 would be the coolest July of the last decade of abnormal heat.

However, prevailing synoptic conditions shifted, with thermal depressions dominating and limiting the influence of cooler air masses. As a result, the ongoing trend of unusually high temperatures in Ashgabat has continued unabated this summer.