Summer in Astana is only halfway through, yet residents of the Kazakh capital have already endured two record-breaking heatwaves.
On 14 July, temperatures soared to 39.5°C, breaking the previous record for the date of 35.3°C, set 34 years ago. Just three weeks earlier, on 23 June, the city also set a new record of 36.8°C, surpassing the 36.4°C recorded in 1941.
Last week, residents continued to receive warnings through Kazakhstan's 112 emergency alert system as temperatures remained around 36°C.
Astana is not alone. Across Kazakhstan, the heatwave has pushed temperatures as high as 44°C in the southwest and 45°-48°C in the south and southeast.
According to Kazakhstan's National Hydrometeorological Service, the heat is expected to persist through the end of July, with temperatures of 35°-45°C forecast across western and southern Kazakhstan, the country's hottest regions.
