47-year-old temperature record broken in Kazakhstan
Tengrinews.kz – In December 2025, Kazakhstan saw unstable weather and a series of temperature anomalies. Several regions recorded new maximums, including the breaking of a record that had stood since 1978.
According to Kazhydromet, at the beginning of the month weather conditions in the country were shaped by active cyclonic activity. Most of the country experienced warm weather more typical of November. There was precipitation in the form of snow and rain, with blizzards, fog, and strong winds observed in some areas.
Record warmth at the start of December
In the first days of the month, abnormally high temperatures were recorded in several regions. On 1 December in Kostanay, the air temperature reached +4.8 °C, surpassing the 2021 record. In Petropavlovsk, it warmed up to +2.6 °C, above the previous maximum from 2009.
In Zhezkazgan, records were broken three days in a row — 2–4 December: +6.0 °C (previous record for 2021 was +5.9), +7.7 °C (record for 1990 was +7.2) and +5.9 °C (record for 2016 was +4.3).
The arrival of real winter
From 8 to 12 December, a sharp cold spell hit most of the country. Under the influence of a northern anticyclone, temperatures dropped from 0…+5 °C to −18…−26 °C, marking the establishment of full winter conditions.
A record standing since 1978 is broken
In the second half of December, warm weather returned to Kazakhstan. On 15 December in Astana, the temperature reached +2.2 °C (exceeding the 1981 record of +2.0), and in Petropavlovsk it was −1.1 °C (above the 2005 record of −1.5).
On 29 December in Shymkent, the thermometer rose to +19.4 °C, beating the 2023 record (+15.5). In Turkistan it was +14.1 °C, higher than the previous maximum from 1995 (+12.2).
On 30 December in Astana, the temperature reached +2.8 °C (record for 1995 was +1.8), and in Zhezkazgan +1.3 °C (record for 2001 was +1.1).
On 31 December in Ust-Kamenogorsk, the temperature reached +6.3 °C, exceeding the 1978 value (+4.8), which had stood for 47 years.
Monthly summary
Overall, air temperatures in December across most of Kazakhstan were 1–4 °C above the long-term climatic norm. Precipitation totals in a number of regions exceeded monthly averages by 1.3–6 times, while in some areas amounts were around or below normal.