Temperatures near 50°C forecast across much of Iraq

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s General Authority for Meteorology forecast temperatures approaching 50°C across parts of the country on Wednesday, urging caution during the hottest hours of the day.

Skies will be clear across most of Iraq, with scattered cloud in parts of the north and east, and temperatures similar to Tuesday’s, the authority said.

Northwesterly winds of 20 to 30 km/h are expected in central and southern Iraq, gusting to 45 km/h in some areas and raising light dust in desert areas and on open roads. Winds in the Kurdistan Region will be light and variable at 5 to 10 km/h. Visibility will range from 8 to 10 km, dropping to 5 to 7 km where dust is blowing.

Maysan is forecast to record the highest temperature at 49°C, followed by Diyala, Salah al-Din and Basra at 48°C, and Baghdad, Karbala, Babil, Najaf, Dhi Qar, Muthanna, Diwaniyah and Kirkuk at 47°C. Highs of 46°C are forecast for Nineveh and Wasit, 45°C for Anbar, 44°C for Erbil, 42°C for Duhok and 41°C for Sulaymaniyah.