Temperatures to climb 2 to 3 °C across Iraq as extreme heat persists

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s General Authority for Meteorology and Seismic Monitoring forecast temperatures to climb by 2 to 3 °C on Sunday from the previous day, with extreme heat continuing across the country under the seasonal thermal low-pressure system.

Maysan governorate is expected to record the country’s highest temperature at 49 °C, matching forecasts for Dhi Qar and Basra. Temperatures are expected to reach 47 °C in Wasit, Muthanna and Najaf, 46 °C in Baghdad, Diyala, Babil and Karbala, and 45 °C in Nineveh, Kirkuk and Salah al-Din. In the Kurdistan Region, forecasts show highs of 44 °C in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah and 42 °C in Duhok.

The authority said conditions will stay clear and sunny with intense daytime heat and relatively milder early mornings and nights.

Northwesterly winds of 20 to 30 km/h are expected, with gusts reaching about 50 km/h in parts of central and southern Iraq, raising dust and sand particularly in desert areas and on highways. Visibility is forecast at 8 to 10 km in most areas, falling to 5 to 7 km where dust is present.

Temperatures are expected to rise slightly again Monday before easing gradually Tuesday in central and southern governorates while holding relatively stable in the north. Hot, sunny conditions are forecast to continue through at least Thursday.