New dust storm expected to hit Iraq: Weather authority

To a lesser degree, the dust storm will continue across different parts of the country until Wednesday, according to the statement.
An Iraqi cleaner works to clean the street during a severe dust storm in the Iraqi capital Baghdad May 1, 2022 (Photo: Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP)
An Iraqi cleaner works to clean the street during a severe dust storm in the Iraqi capital Baghdad May 1, 2022 (Photo: Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi weather commission announced on Sunday that it expects a new dust storm to engulf the country on Monday.

While the authority expects a drop in temperature, the chance of the dust storm is high in the central and northern provinces, Iraq's state media announced on Sunday.

To a lesser degree, the dust storm will continue across different parts of the country until Wednesday, according to the statement.

While Iraq experiences dusty conditions annually this year has been noticeably more severe. Since April alone, the country has been battered by nine intense dust storms, forcing government offices to close and flights to be cancelled. Thousands of people have also sought medical care due to the respiratory issues brought about by the storms.

Lack of precipitation, droughts, and desertification are a few factors that experts and Iraqi environmental officials blame the increase and intensity of these storms in recent months.

Iraq's Ministry of Environment believes that the recent dust storms originally originated from neighboring countries such as Jordan, Syria's Deir al-Zor, and Saudi Arabia.

If current conditions continue, Iraq could face 300 days of dusty weather per year by 2050, environmental officials have warned.