8 Iraqi provinces forecast to experience temperatures above 50 degrees

Climate change is believed to be a major cause of extreme weather events, including floods and heatwaves.

Kurdistan 24 2022/07/18 15:46

An Iraqi man cools himself down in front of water vaper-spraying fans provided on a street in Baghdad amid a heat spell, June 30, 2021 (Photo: Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Temperatures in at least eight Iraqi provinces are expected to exceed 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in the coming days, according to the Iraqi meteorological authority.

The hot spell is forecast on Tuesday to be intensely felt in the southern Iraqi provinces of Basra, Najaf, Karbala, Muthana, Nasiriyah, Maysan, Wasit, and Al Qadisiya.

Basra and Maysan are expected to experience temperatures as high as 52 degrees Celsius (125.6 F).

While hot summers are not new for Iraq, electricity and water shortages make it unbearable for many Iraqis to tolerate the extreme heat.

Europe and the UK are also expected to experience unprecedented heat. London’s temperature is forecast to hit a record 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday.

Climate change is believed to be a major cause of extreme weather events, including floods and heatwaves.

In addition to the extreme heat, Iraq has been battered by numerous intense and frequent dust storms, hospitalizing thousands and causing repeated flight delays.

Authorities are proposing “green belt” projects to combat the adverse effects of climate change on the country. However, the lack of irrigation makes implementing such projects extremely challenging.