Russia Reports Hottest July on Record

Aug. 31, 2026 People seen cooling off during warm weather in Moscow in July 2026. Vasily Kuzmichenok / Moskva News Agency Russia experienced its hottest July on record this summer, the country’s national meteorological service, Rosgidromet, said Monday. Nationwide average temperatures in July surpassed the previous record set in 2010, when the average temperature exceeded the norm by 7.8 degrees Celsius. “July was the hottest in our country for the entire period of instrumental observations since 1891,” Rosgidromet chief Yury Simonov said at a press conference. He did not say how much warmer on average this year’s record-setting July was, according to the Interfax news agency. Simonov noted that regional temperatures exceeded seasonal norms by 4 C in northern Siberia, the southern Urals and the Far East republic of Sakha. Simonov attributed the historic heat to a stationary high-pressure system that trapped warm air over northern Russia and prevented cooler air with rain from moving in from the west. “This is a very strong anomaly for such northern parts of the country,” Simonov said. While vast parts of Russia sweltered, Simonov said residents of Moscow largely saw cooler weather as the capital recorded an average summer temperature of just 0.9 C above the norm. Russia is warming 2.5 times faster than the rest of the world, fueling more extreme weather events across the country. Read more about: Weather , Climate change Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Partial Dam Collapse in Siberia’s Tomsk Region as River Swells The Tom River could reach a dangerous height of 8.9 meters between Monday and Wednesday, regional authorities said. 2 Min read St. Petersburg Winter Temps Could Rise 4 Degrees by 2050 – Scientist Scientists also predict increasingly intense rain and snow that will strain the city's drainage and flood mitigation systems. Blame Climate Change for Historically Warm Fall in Russia’s Biggest Cities, Experts Say Russia's two biggest cities will see warmer seasons over the next 10 years compared with the prior decade. Russia Breaks Heat Records in First Half of 2020 The country’s weather chief warned of worse to come.