Heatwaves in Kazakhstan this summer have driven temperatures to record extremes both in the capital, Astana, and in more rural areas, creating climate-related health risks that experts say should accelerate efforts on a heat-health action plan, as well as strategies to deal with water shortages and threats to crop yields.
Public health alerts for extreme heat have been ongoing, and Astana saw the mercury rise to 39.5°C on 14 July 2026, shattering the previous record of 35.3°C, set 34 years ago. And that is not even the first all-time high this summer. Another recent heatwave, in June, broke a record temperature that had stood for over eight decades.
Despite some storms, the heat shows no sign of relenting, according to Kazakhstan’s National Hydrometeorological Service, which has forecast temperatures up to 45°C across the country’s western and southern regions.
As one of the world’s fastest warming nations, and with over 75% of Kazakhstan exposed to climate risks that are a danger to human health, Kazakhstan, warns Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, faces soaring heat-related deaths, as do other Central Asian territories. “Projections show Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan face the steepest rises in heatwave-related mortality rates in Central Asia in the near term – and that’s under moderate climate scenarios. Sadly, it will get worse,” Kluge said.
Part of the issues is that the territory of Kazakhstan lies at the heart of the Eurasian continent and is landlocked from the ocean (by two to three thousand kilometres). This position means “it warms up at higher pace than the northern hemisphere and the globe, in average,” Nurlan Abayev, director of National Hydrometeorological Service Kazgidromet, explains.
As well as health impacts for society’s most exposed and vulnerable populations, extreme temperatures over long periods create drought conditions, and wildfire risks, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology has warned.
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And the knock-on consequences are felt through other seasons, and vital sectors such as agriculture. When earlier snowmelt brings earlier spring floods, reservoir supplies have to last longer, and moisture cannot penetrate the soil as easily, diminishing food production.
The latter is a threat not only to Kazakhstan but to the region and wider world, since Kazakhstan is a major global wheat exporter. Ultimately, Kazakhstan is not alone. Kluge has urged authorities worldwide to plan ahead for the long-term public health implications of extreme heat, explaining: “Every country – including Kazakhstan – needs a heat-health action plan before the next summer, not during it.”
