Rain and thunderstorms forecast through Eid and Newroz weekend

BAGHDAD — Iraq faces a rainy holiday weekend, with the General Authority for Meteorology forecasting thunderstorms and rainfall beginning Friday and continuing through Monday — coinciding with both Eid al-Fitr and Newroz, the Kurdish and Iranian new year celebrated on Saturday with outdoor gatherings and picnics.

Friday will see generally cloudy skies with moderate rainfall in the north and eastern parts of the central and southern regions, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Temperatures will rise in central and southern areas and dip slightly in the north. Visibility will range between eight and 10 kilometers, dropping to five to seven during rainfall.

Saturday’s Newroz celebrations may be dampened by continued cloud cover and moderate rain in central and northern regions, again with thunder and lightning, and a slight temperature rise in central and southern areas. Sunday will bring continued cloud cover and moderate rainfall across central, northern and some southern areas, with temperatures dropping several degrees nationwide. Monday will see moderate rain in the north and a chance of light rain in the south, with temperatures rising slightly.