July Heatwave: Shymkent Shatters 111-Year Temperature Record

Weather forecasters at Kazhydromet have reported unprecedented heat levels recorded across Kazakhstan. Throughout July, temperatures across most of the country ranged between 1 and 4 degrees Celsius above the historical climatic norm.

Shymkent experienced an extreme heatwave as temperatures peaked at a record +45.2°C, surpassing previous historical highs established on July 16 and 17, 1915 (+41.1°C and +40.1°C, respectively). Similar extreme conditions were documented in several other regions:

• In Almaty, four consecutive heat records were broken between July 16 and July 20: +38°C on July 16, +39.2°C on July 17, +40°C on July 18, and +41.5°C on July 20.

• In Turkistan, temperatures soared to +47.6°C on July 18, eclipsing the previous benchmark of +43.7°C recorded in 2019.

• In Astana, temperatures reached +38.6°C on July 14, while Ust-Kamenogorsk saw +39.7°C on July 16, and Kyzylorda hit +45.2°C on July 17.

In addition to intense heat, the month was marked by anomalous precipitation patterns in specific territories, where rainfall significantly exceeded standard seasonal levels. Notably, in the Zhetysay district of the Turkistan region, monthly precipitation surpassed the long-term historical average by fifteen times.