Kurdish village known for its mild summers gets warmer weather this year

A Kurdish village known for its mild summers and considered one of the coolest places in Iraq is getting unusually warm weather this year.

Temperatures have hit 30 degrees Celsius in the mountainous village of Weze this summer, which is still pleasant compared to other parts of the country that are seeing scorching heat.

But for Weze residents, this is the warmest summer they can remember in recent years.

Abdulla Mustafa, a farmer from Weze village, says this year’s heat is still bearable.

"It is not that harsh. You see it is 2:00 p.m. and we are working in the field, picking these nice cucumbers,” he says.

Weze residents are used to enjoying a gentle summer between the mountains as fresh cool water from melting snow flows into their village through pipes installed by villagers.

The village is located near a stream in Erbil province in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Mountains surrounding the town are partly covered by snow even in the summer.

Meanwhile, Iraqis in Baghdad are seeing temperatures regularly rise well above 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit).

It even hovers around 50 degrees (122 Fahrenheit) in the south of the country.

Abdulla Hamad, the head of Weze village, said that the maximum temperature in the village during the day reaches 34 degrees Celsius (93 Fahrenheit).

It eventually drops down to 22-23 degrees Celsius (71-73 Fahrenheit) at night.

That is “extremely hot” for Hamad, who says the heat has not prevented villagers from carrying out their work.

“It is hot, but you can still work outside,” he adds.