Iraq Dominates Global List of Hottest Cities
Six Iraqi cities, including Amarah and Basra, were named among the 15 hottest places on Earth Saturday, with temperatures soaring above 46°C. The data highlights Iraq's severe vulnerability to the escalating climate crisis, which is causing widespread environmental and infrastructural strain.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Six Iraqi cities have been ranked among the 15 hottest places on Earth in the last 24 hours, as a scorching heatwave grips the Middle East, according to new data released Saturday.
A list published by a weather monitoring station in Placerville, California, on Saturday, July 19, 2025, showed Iraqi locations featuring prominently among the globe's most intense heat zones. The city of Amarah ranked third globally with 46.2 degrees Celsius, a temperature matched by Basra International Airport, which placed fourth.
Other Iraqi cities on the list included Nasiriyah in seventh place (45.8°C), Faw in eighth (45.7°C), Ali Al-Gharbi in tenth (45.1°C), and Samawah in twelfth (44.9°C).
The world's highest temperature was recorded in Hermosillo, Mexico, at 46.5 degrees Celsius. The list also featured several cities in neighboring Iran, including Abadan, which was the second hottest globally at 46.4°C, as well as locations in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, underscoring the regional nature of the heatwave.
The extreme temperatures are part of a larger, well-documented climate crisis facing Iraq.
The United Nations ranks Iraq as one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the impacts of climate change. For years, the country has been grappling with the severe consequences of rising global temperatures.
Prolonged heatwaves, severe water shortages in the historic Tigris and Euphrates rivers, increasing desertification, and more frequent and intense dust storms have become recurring issues.
These environmental pressures place immense strain on the country's infrastructure, particularly the electricity grid which struggles to meet demand, leading to frequent power cuts that exacerbate the hardship for millions during the summer months.
The crisis also severely impacts public health and the nation's vital agricultural sector.
