Iraq braces for most severe cold snap in 14 years

Nov. 25, 2024

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Iraq is preparing for an unprecedented cold wave that meteorologists say will be the most severe the country has experienced in 14 years, according to weather officials.

Amer Jabri, Director of Communications at the Iraqi Meteorological Organization, announced that "starting today, Iraq will face a cold wave unlike anything we've seen in the past 14 years."

"The cold front will begin affecting Iraq today, with particular intensity from western Anbar to Mosul," Jabri explained. "The weather system will be accompanied by strong winds and light dust storms."

He added that by Tuesday, the cold front will advance toward northern Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, causing temperatures to drop by four degrees Celsius.

The Kurdistan Region's Meteorological Department has also issued a statement warning that "the region will be affected by a rain system combined with an arctic air mass. The impact of the rainfall is expected to intensify today, Monday, with snowfall predicted in mountainous areas."

While Iraq and the Kurdistan Region typically experience cold winters, such severe temperature drops are unusual. The last comparable cold snap occurred in 2010.

The weather system's intensity has raised concerns about its potential impact on vulnerable populations, particularly in areas with limited infrastructure and displaced persons' camps.