🇹🇲Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan (approximately 488,100 km²) stretches across Central Asia between 35°–43°N, bordered by the Caspian Sea to the west, Iran and Afghanistan to the south, Uzbekistan to the north and east, and Kazakhstan to the northwest, encompassing one of the world's most extreme continental desert climates.

The vast Karakum (Garagum) Desert dominates most of the territory, covering about 350,000 km² with shifting sand dunes, creating an arid landscape punctuated only by the southern Kopet Dag mountain range (rising to 3,139 m at Mount Aýrybaba) and the Sarygamysh Lake depression.

The climate is predominantly Köppen BWk (cold desert) transitioning to BWh (hot desert) in the south, with mean annual temperatures ranging from 12.8°C in the north (Daşoguz) to 17.5°C in the south-central region (Ashgabat). Annual precipitation is exceptionally sparse, averaging merely 80 mm in the northwest to 300 mm in the Kopet Dag foothills, concentrated in brief January–May storms, leaving the country perpetually water-stressed. The Caspian Sea moderates temperatures along the western coast, though its own water levels have declined significantly since the 1990s, exposing new coastline.

Ashgabat (southern piedmont) has January highs of about 9°C with nights near 0°C and only 225 mm annual precipitation, experiencing July afternoon highs averaging about 38°C and winter nights occasionally dropping below −5°C. Türkmenbaşy (Caspian coast) records January highs of about 8°C with nights near 0°C and July highs of about 35°C, with 124 mm annual rainfall; the national record of 50.1°C was set at Repetek in 1983.

Türkmenabat (eastern Amu Darya valley) registers January highs of about 8°C with nights near −2°C and July highs of about 37°C, with 131 mm, with summer heat that has reached 46°C. Mary (southern oasis, 223 m elevation) records January highs of about 10°C with nights near 0°C and July highs of about 39°C, with 160 mm, sustained by irrigation from the Murgab River.

Daşoguz (northern border) has January highs of about 2°C with nights near −5°C and July highs of about 36–37°C, with 100 mm, experiencing sharp continental temperature swings. The severe ongoing Aral Sea collapse (shrunk to 10% of its 1960 size) damages northern Turkmenistan; toxic dust storms from the exposed, pesticide-contaminated seabed now blast the region with salt, chemicals, and particulates, causing respiratory illnesses and agricultural damage.

The Amu Darya River, historically feeding the Aral Sea, now contributes no water to the sea, with much of its flow diverted upstream, including through the Karakum Canal, to irrigate Turkmenistan's cotton monoculture.

Dust storms sweep in from the Karakum Desert, while the Caspian Sea has declined markedly since 1995, threatening coastal infrastructure and fisheries. Climate projections indicate further intensification of extreme heat and aridity, with continued desertification around the Karakum Desert.

Our archive covers 4 Turkmen cities with daily ERA5 reanalysis data going back to 1940. The hottest July afternoons are in Mary, with average highs around 37.6°C, while Daşoguz has the coldest January nights, with average lows near −6.8°C. Comparing the last decade against the 1940–1970 baseline, mean temperatures across these cities have risen by about 1.3°C.