Kurdistan Region Braces for Severe Cold Wave With Heavy Rain, Snow, and Strong winds
Kurdistan Region meteorology officials warn of a continuing cold wave bringing rain, heavy snowfall in mountainous areas, and strong winds across multiple cities.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - A powerful cold wave sweeping across the Kurdistan Region is expected to intensify overnight, bringing widespread rain, snowfall in mountainous and border areas, and active winds, according to an official warning issued by the Kurdistan Region’s General Directorate of Meteorology and Seismology.
In a statement, the directorate said the region is currently under the influence of a cold weather system whose effects will persist through the night. Forecasts indicate moderate rainfall across most areas, while snowfall is expected to continue in mountainous and border regions.
Snowfall measurements recorded earlier indicate accumulations of between thirty-five and forty centimeters in the Kili border area, while four centimeters of snow were recorded in Halsho.
At the same time, wind activity remains notable across much of the region. According to the latest readings, the highest wind speed was recorded in Khabat at twenty-eight kilometers per hour, followed by Erbil at twenty-two kilometers per hour and Pirmam at twenty-one kilometers per hour. Winds reached twenty kilometers per hour in Bazyan and Shamamak, eighteen kilometers per hour in Soran, and seventeen kilometers per hour in Duhok, Akre, Mangish, and Halsho.
Wind speeds of fifteen kilometers per hour were recorded in Sulaimani and Haji Omaran, while Kalar and Barzan saw winds of thirteen kilometers per hour. Zakho recorded eleven kilometers per hour, Chemchamal, Amadi, and Meydan recorded ten kilometers per hour, Bamarni eight kilometers per hour, and Halabja five kilometers per hour.
The meteorology directorate cautioned that areas close to mountainous zones face a heightened risk of snowfall and frost. It urged residents and drivers to remain alert to changing weather conditions, particularly when traveling through affected areas.
The warning comes as authorities monitor the cold wave’s progression and its potential impact on transportation and daily life across the Kurdistan Region.