Ürümqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region in far northwestern China, sits in a basin at the northern foot of the Tianshan mountains at around 800 metres above sea level, at approximately 43.83°N, 87.62°E. Renowned as the most landlocked major city on earth — the farthest from any ocean — it has a cold desert continental climate (Köppen BWk) with hot, dry summers, bitterly cold winters and a very large temperature range.

Summer, from June to August, is warm to hot and dry, with July the warmest month — average highs around 30°C — though the altitude and the extreme dryness keep the heat bearable and the nights cool, giving a large day-to-night swing. Sunshine is abundant and rain scarce; the intense continental sun and long daylight make it the pleasant, if brief, high season.

Winter, from November to March, is long, bitterly cold and dry, with January the coldest month — average highs around -8°C and lows near -18 to -20°C, and cold snaps that plunge far lower. Cold, stagnant air often settles in the basin, trapping haze and winter smog, and although snowfall is light, it lies frozen for months and supports skiing in the nearby Tianshan.

Ürümqi is very dry, receiving only around 280–300 mm of precipitation a year — desert levels — because it lies so far from any ocean, deep in the Central Asian interior; spring is the relatively wettest season, while much of the winter total falls as light snow. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Ürümqi holds the distinction of being the major city farthest from any sea anywhere on earth, deep in the arid heart of the Eurasian landmass — a fact that shapes its whole climate: extreme dryness, a huge gap between hot summers and frigid winters, and desert-scale rainfall. The basin's tendency to trap cold, stagnant, hazy air in winter is a recurring cold-season problem beneath the Tianshan peaks.

To follow any single measurement in Urumqi more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.