Iraq to see hot, stable weather through Thursday, forecasters say

BAGHDAD — Iraq will continue to experience hot to very hot summer weather through Thursday, with temperatures remaining at the elevated levels recorded over the weekend, according to the General Authority for Meteorology and Seismic Monitoring.

In its forecast issued Sunday, the authority said skies will remain mostly clear across the country, with occasional cloud cover in parts of the northern region, particularly its northernmost areas. Daytime conditions are expected to be hot to very hot, especially around midday, while temperatures will become relatively milder during the early morning and nighttime hours.

Northwesterly winds are forecast to develop after noon, with gusts reaching up to 20 kph in parts of central, southern and western Iraq. The authority said winds will be light to moderate and interrupted by periods of calm.

Horizontal visibility is expected to remain very good, ranging between 8 and 10 kilometers.

Temperatures on Sunday are forecast to reach 46 degrees Celsius in Basra, Maysan, Muthanna and Dhi Qar governorates, while Baghdad, Babil, Wasit, Karbala, Najaf and Diwaniyah are expected to see highs of 45 C. Diyala and Salah al-Din governorates are forecast to reach 44 C, with Nineveh and Anbar at 43 C, Kirkuk at 42 C, Erbil at 41 C, and Duhok and Sulaymaniyah at 39 C.

The authority said weather conditions are expected to remain stable through Thursday, with mostly sunny skies across Iraq. Temperatures are forecast to stay close to current levels on Monday and Tuesday before easing slightly in central and southern areas on Wednesday, then returning to similar levels on Thursday.

Winds are expected to remain predominantly northwesterly at light to moderate speeds throughout the forecast period, with visibility continuing between 8 and 10 kilometers.