Hot daytime temperatures, dust expected in several cities

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Meteorological Authority has forecast extreme daytime heat and moderate nighttime temperatures across the country on Thursday, with potential for dust storms in several areas, particularly desert regions.

In its daily bulletin, the authority said Iraq remains under the influence of a surface thermal low-pressure system, which continues to drive high summer temperatures.

Winds are expected to be moderate and northwesterly but could raise dust, especially in desert areas where visibility may drop to between 3 and 5 kilometers, the report said.

The weather warning follows a major dust storm that affected much of northern Iraq earlier in the week. Nearly 170 people were hospitalized over the past two days across the Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk governorate with respiratory issues linked to the storm, local health authorities said Wednesday. Most of those affected received treatment and were later discharged.