Temperatures reach 50°C in five governorates as Arbaeen walk peaks

BAGHDAD — Temperatures will reach 50°C in Basra, Maysan, Muthanna, Dhi Qar and Salah al-Din on Saturday, with much of central and southern Iraq at 48°C or above, the Iraqi Meteorological Organization and Seismology said, as millions of pilgrims walk to Karbala for Arbaeen.

Skies will be mostly clear. Conditions will be hottest in the afternoon, turning relatively milder at night as surface humidity rises. Northwesterly winds are forecast at 10 to 20 km/h, with occasional lighter periods and shifts in direction across northern and eastern parts of the south. Horizontal visibility will generally be 8 to 10 km, falling to 5 to 7 km in parts of southern Iraq.

Highs of 49°C are forecast for Karbala, Babil, Najaf, Diwaniyah, Anbar and Kirkuk; 48°C for Baghdad, Wasit and Diyala; and 47°C for Nineveh. In the Kurdistan Region, Erbil is expected to reach 44°C and Duhok and Sulaymaniyah 43°C.

The World Health Organization warned this week of a serious heat risk to pilgrims walking to Karbala and Najaf, and urged organizers to expand water stations and shaded rest areas. Its assessment projected daytime temperatures of around 45°C along the routes.