What to expect from June heat in Saudi Arabia based on 40 years of data
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has been experiencing a wide range of cold weather conditions throughout the year, including prolonged cold waves and localized heavy rainfall events.
However, based on the National Center for Meteorology’s (NCM) long-term monitoring of June weather patterns from 1985 to 2025, Saudi Arabia seems to be approaching one of its driest and hottest months.
According to the NCM’s analysis of past Junes, the month records an average temperature of 32.2°C and average rainfall of 1.58 mm, based on the 1991–2020 climate baseline.
This ranks June as the Kingdom’s third-hottest month and the driest month of the year.
The NCM’s records show that June’s average maximum temperature reaches 39.5°C, while the average minimum temperature stands at 24.38°C.
Historical data indicate that 2024 had the highest average maximum temperature in June during the 1985–2025 climate period, at 41.52°C. By contrast, 1985 recorded the lowest average minimum temperature for the month at 22.14°C.
The data also points to persistently warm June conditions in recent years. During the last decade, 2024 recorded the highest average minimum temperature at 27.04°C, while 2025 recorded the lowest at 25.13°C.
Rainfall patterns have varied considerably over the years. The wettest June on record was recorded in 1996, when average rainfall reached 16.98 mm.
In the past decade, 2019 recorded the highest June rainfall average at 4.0 mm, while 2025 recorded the lowest at just 0.02 mm.
Geographically, June temperatures tend to be highest across western Saudi Arabia and parts of the eastern and southern regions, while the lowest temperatures are generally observed over the southwestern highlands and northern parts of the Kingdom.
Rainfall during June is concentrated primarily over the western and southwestern highlands, while dry conditions prevail across most other regions.
In terms of absolute weather extremes, the highest temperature ever recorded during June was 52°C in Jeddah on June 22, 2010. The lowest temperature recorded during the month was 10.6°C in Al-Qurayyat on June 4, 1990.
The highest daily rainfall total recorded during June reached 53.8 mm in Sharurah on June 16, 1996. The strongest wind speed recorded during the month reached 111.1 km/h in Taif on June 14, 2023.
