Temperatures ease across Iraq as winds raise dust

BAGHDAD — Temperatures will ease across most of Iraq on Sunday, with highs of 46°C in Basra and Dhi Qar, while northwesterly winds strengthening to 50 km/h are expected to raise dust in parts of central and southern Iraq, the Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology said.

Skies will stay clear nationwide, with temperatures falling slightly from Saturday in central and northern areas and holding near Saturday’s levels in the south.

Northwesterly winds are forecast at 20 to 30 km/h, strengthening during the day in parts of central and southern Iraq to 40 to 50 km/h. The strongest winds are expected in the afternoon, particularly in central and southern governorates, stirring light dust in desert areas and along highways. Horizontal visibility is forecast at 8 to 10 km, dropping to 5 to 7 km where dust is blowing.

Highs of 46°C are forecast for Basra and Dhi Qar, 44°C for Maysan, Diwaniyah, Muthanna and Babil, and 43°C for Baghdad, Karbala, Diyala, Salah al-Din, Wasit and Najaf. Kirkuk is expected to reach 42°C, Nineveh 41°C, Anbar and Erbil 40°C, Sulaymaniyah 39°C and Duhok 38°C.

The organization forecast on Saturday that temperatures would rise slightly in the middle of next week, while the Transport Ministry, which the organization operates under, announced that a moderately cool air mass moving toward Iraq from southern Europe would arrive next week and push temperatures below the seasonal average.