Clear skies and blowing dust across Iraq as temperatures edge up

BAGHDAD — Iraq will see generally clear skies through the weekend, with periods of blowing dust and a gradual rise in temperatures, the Iraqi Meteorological Authority said Wednesday.

Northwesterly winds on Thursday will reach up to 40 km/h during the day, raising dust in parts of central and southern Iraq. Visibility is expected to stay between 8 and 10 km, dropping to 3 to 5 km in dusty areas.

Highs Thursday are forecast to reach 38 °C in Duhok and Sulaymaniyah, 40 °C in Erbil and Nineveh, 41 °C in Kirkuk and Anbar, 42 °C in Baghdad, Salah al-Din and Karbala, 43 °C in Diyala, Babil, Wasit, Diwaniyah and Najaf, 44 °C in Dhi Qar, Muthanna and Basra, and 45 °C in Maysan.

Friday will hold steady in the north and rise slightly in central and southern areas.

Clear weather continues Saturday, with northwesterly winds again reaching 40 km/h and raising dust in parts of central and southern Iraq. Temperatures are forecast to rise slightly in the north and south and stay largely unchanged in the center.

By Sunday, the weather is expected to remain clear and hot across most of the country, with some cloud in southern Iraq and another slight rise nationwide.